Broken by Humanity, Healed by a Dragon
by Hunter13hawkie
Summary: Zarc has been fighting humans for as long as he could remember and when he finally creates the world for his spirits only, he feels an emptiness in his heart, longing for something he never had. His loyal generals so give him four orphaned children that they found in the human world, hoping it will heal his pain of loneliness. (Another story about Zarc and his dragon children!)
1. Prologue

The gentle summer breeze blew through spacious grass fields, full of blooming flowers. Enjoying the peaceful weather, groups of spirits gathered by the lake and in the forest clearing surrounding the castle. There stood the black dragon with neon green markings, watching over his people. Everyone seemed so happy; a sight he had wished to see for so long.

It hadn't always been like this.

Before the spirits roamed freely through the world, nothing to fear as only they lived there. Then human-kind appeared, and at first it seemed that they could live together in harmony. For many decades, they did just that. Both spirits and humans taught the other group the unique things they knew, living off of the equivalent exchange and sharing the same world.

But then humans figured out what more they stood to gain from the spirits. They discovered their weaknesses and soon began to enslave the spirits, who were too wounded by the betrayal to fight back. Spirit-kind suddenly became a greatly desired prey, none spared by the humans who hunted them. They were used as hard labor or kept as prizes to be shown off by those they had once trusted.

Soon, humanity began to fight against itself, using enslaved spirits as their weapons. For the spirits, that was the last straw, and they were forced to abandon their teachings of peace in order to save themselves. A few of the more powerful spirits came together, gathering their own army to fight back. Their leader was none other than the most powerful dragon among them – The Supreme King Dragon Zarc, along with the four groups of spirits who stood behind him.

First were the Magicians, a nation of powerful spirits skilled in all types of magic. Next were the Neo-Spacians and Crystal Beasts, unique beings who excelled at close combat. The nation of Signers was likely one of the strongest; comprised exclusively of dragons, skilled at fighting the masses, they were led by another powerful being known as the Crimson Dragon. Lastly came the Numbers, a nation built of all kinds of spirits, capabilities encompassing the skills of the other three, filling in any gaps.

As word of the rebellion spread across the world, there were even small groups of humans who joined their cause. Zarc, having known and trusted them since before the battle started, made them generals at the head of the four armies, hoping to restore the world to the way it once was. . . But their ideals were far from reality. The humans would rather perish in battle than release the spirits from slavery and return to the previous lifestyle. As time went on, there was great destruction on both sides with no distinct result. Human-kind was dying, and so were the spirits; yet the world was still the same.

With no other solution, Zarc fell back on his very last resort. It took time, but the plan eventually gained the approval of all of his generals as well as Ray, his royal advisor who, though she was human, held the spiritual En powers. The dragon king began to rampage through the world, mostly among civilians. He did this not to commit mass murder, but to plant fear in the human king. Everywhere he went, chaos followed; a simple message to the rulers of the towns.

Release the spirits and our kind will never interfere again.

At last, humanity gave in to their fear and released the spirits. Just as Zarc had promised, he gathered all the freed spirits and simply disappeared from the face of the earth. With Ray's help, he created another realm within the world, one where spirits could finally roam free. His kind was finally safe again and with humans out of their lives, so they withdrew from the humans'. His loyal generals helped to arrange the new world, so every spirit citizen could feel like home. Those who were injured or traumatized from their slavery could recover properly. As for the few who chose to roam the human world, Zarc allowed it, for he was a just ruler, and listened to every request of his people. While he did not stop them, he warned of the need to be careful, as human-kind began to hate the spirits and everything related to them.

Things finally started to look alright, as he could see right in front of him; watching a group of child spirits picking flowers and listening to the songs of the birds. His kind was happy and they had their own world to live in.

But still. . . deep down, he was missing something.

Having dedicated his life to the fight for their freedom at an early age, Zarc hardly noticed as the years passed; war was the only thing he'd known growing up. He never knew what true childhood was until he saw innocent kids, playing in the cities he visited. He never knew what the love between two soul mates was until he saw couples holding hands and kissing. And he never knew what having a family felt like until he saw families spending time together.

"Your Majesty, your generals are here for a meeting," two voices called from behind Zarc, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He turned to see two of the three most trusted spirits in his entire domain. They were of the Magicians, Stargazer Magician in white clothing, his black-attired partner being Timegazer Magician. The third member of his loyal group, Astrograph Sorcerer, was currently attending to business in another part of the kingdom.

"I should get going then," Zarc said as his body began to shrink, rendering him about the same size as the Magicians. He had learned to take a human form soon after accepting humans into his ranks. By the gods, he had made a good choice. His generals were perfect in every way and he wouldn't replace them for anything. They all believed in his ideals, and supported him in every way they could. Despite being humans, they all cherished both the spirits and their own kind, seeking the very harmony that Zarc himself strove for.

He followed his aides-de-camp into the throne room, very spacious to accommodate spirits of all sizes. Its great volume made his generals seem much smaller as they bowed to him in greeting. On the very left were the generals who had led the Magicians, now in charge of the Pendulum area of Zarc's kingdom. Their trusted partners, Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl were right behind them, showing their respect in the same manner. Next to them were the former leaders of the Neo Spacians and Crystal Beasts who now ruled Fusion. Also with them was the spirit Yubel, who acted as their bodyguard. Moving on, there was the ex-leader of the Signers, now ruling the Synchro region with many members of his family. His partner, the spirit Stardust Dragon, had managed to fit in the throne room and was now patiently waiting for the meeting to adjourn. Last but not least were the generals who previously led the Numbers, one of them bowing on the floor with the other floating by him as he did the same. Now, as well as the two sub-nations of Astrals and Barians, they ruled the XYZ district of the kingdom.

"Please begin," Zarc stated simply, taking a seat on his throne as the Gazer Magicians stood to each side.

The generals began to discuss the latest changes in each part of the kingdom, and how could make further improvements. They also reported on the things happening around the human world, informed by the spirits who had decided to live there. Each general added a thing or two and Zarc listened to all of it. In the end he gathered all the information with the help of the Gazer Magicians - who had helped him record the meeting - and advised them as to what the best course of action was. He also listened to all additional questions and suggestions, promising to give them a thorough look as soon as he had the necessary information. The generals then thanked him and left the castle in order to return to the domains they ruled.

The Pendulum rulers were having their Magicians perform a teleportation spell, the Synchro ruler was already seated on Stardust Dragon's back, and the XYZ rulers were about to merge. Then one of the Fusion rulers called them back.

"Zarc is hurting," he said, all the other generals halting their travel preparations to listen to what he had to say.

"What do you mean, he's hurting? He welcomed and bid us farewell with a smile," the XYZ ruler blinked in confusion.

"I don't think it was a sincere smile." The Synchro ruler crossed his arms, having gotten off his dragon.

"Is it what we feared it would be?" the two Pendulum rulers asked, nearly in unison.

"I'm afraid it is. . . Zarc's heart is sinking down," the Fusion ruler said, tone quiet. "Besides the Gazer Magicians, he doesn't have anyone in the whole kingdom that he could call a family. Yugi has Atem and his group of friends waiting back in Pendulum, along with all of the loyal spirits. Yusei has an entire family of Signers, including all the dragons. Yuma and Astral have each other, along with their Astral and Barian friends. And me? I have Johan and Yubel. . . Zarc has no one and I hate having to see him like this."

"You're right, he did so much for me and my Aibou." Atem nodded, throwing an arm around Yugi's shoulders.

"If it weren't for him, I would never have met Mou Hitori No Boku and learnt to become stronger," Yugi added.

"I could never meet Stardust and the rest of the Signers without him." Yusei petted his dragon whose head nuzzled against him.

"It's thanks to him that Astral and I will never be separated again." Yuma looked down.

"And I owe him for saving me from the shadow of my evil self. Without him, Yubel and Johan would never have found their way to my lost soul. . ." Judai said, clenching his fists. "Right now he might be fine, but I can see him slowly sinking into depression, just like I did when I was alone. Something must be done."

"But what can we do? You're saying he needs a family, but we can't just magically give him one," Johan pointed out, making the others think.

"He needs someone he can protect who will heal his broken heart in return," Astral said, remembering how much he had changed since meeting Yuma.

All their gazes were directed at the balcony where Zarc had, as always, come after their meeting. He would revert to his dragon form and stared dazedly at the view offered from his castle. They would certainly see him in the same spot if they were to come back tomorrow, or the next day.

Zarc's goal had always been to create the perfect Utopia for his people, but now that he'd succeeded, he didn't know what to do.

Judai was right; he was hurting, hurting from emptiness in his heart. With all the generals agreeing to the plan, they went their separate ways. But instead of returning to their kingdoms, they headed for the earth.

To search for something what would make Zarc happy.


	2. The Boy With Odd Eyes

There you go - the first Yu-boy will be introduced in this chapter and considering the title, you'd probably guessed who it is. :D Hope you enjoy. Thanks a lot to elfqueen13 who did an excellent job at proofreading the chapter!

Before you start please read the tags. This chapter (and other three as well) will deal with some dark themes that some might find hard to read. Just a warning.

PS: You might need tissues for the poor tomato's head background story. I nearly did... :'(

EDIT: One of the readers reminded me of an important moment that I forgot to put into this chapter, I was going to include it in the next chapter but it doesn't seem to fit, so at the end of this chapter there's an extra scene. Hope you like it :D ( the second chapter still needs some time before it will be done).

As soon as they departed from the Realm of Spirits, Yugi and Atem found themselves back in the human world, their trusted partners not far behind. With their appearances hidden under deep blue cloaks and the magicians turning invisible, the two generals walked through a thick forest. At first it appeared to be the same as any from their now home, Pendulum kingdom. The trees stood tall, the bushes growing thick at their feet, many flowers growing by the path.

But unlike their home, the forest was devoid of life. Not a single bird sang, not a single mammal passed them by, and even the bugs seemed to have vanished. The more the duo walked, the fewer similarities they saw. Once they reached the edge of the forest they saw the trees that had been cut down, the bare branches of the bushes, the practically non-existent flowers.

"I don't like this place. . ." Dark Magician Girl muttered, floating invisibly next to Yugi. "It's so empty of life."

"I don't like it either Mana, but we must keep going," the short general said, gazing at what lay beyond the forest.

"But what exactly are we looking for Master?" Dark Magician asked. "Your orders were too sudden to be explained in detail." Saying he would elaborate, Atem stood still for a moment, stopped by something he had heard. The rest of the party heard it too, coming from a small town nearby. The rulers of the Pendulum kingdom could point out the colourful lights of paper lanterns and sounds of merriment from the humans living there.

"Mahad, could you please go take a closer look at what is happening there?" Atem asked, his loyal partner acknowledging the order and flying to the town. It was not long before he returned with a rather distinct expression on his face, like he wasn't sure how to feel about what he had observed.

"It appears as though the town has been visited by a travelling caravan full of performers. The town's citizens pay to see the shows they put on," Mahad informed them. "But despite the positive auras coming from the viewers, I sensed something. . . off about the main tent."

"Should we check it out Mou Hitori No Boku?" Yugi asked, shifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other.

"I think so Aibou. . . at least, that's what the Millennium Puzzle is telling me." Atem tightened his grip on the chain of a magical item he wore around his neck, the very same one that Yugi did.

"Let's head on in then," the shorter general said, having already started walking.

Once they entered the town, the duo tugged their hoods further down to obscure their faces and made sure their Millenium Puzzles were hidden as well. Those people may not yet have been affected by the war, but just in case they concealed their identities and had their spirit partners remain in the forest. After all, their faces - along with those of the other generals - had become well known, deemed traitors of humanity who were brainwashed by the spirits. Yugi could hardly forget all the nasty names and glares human soldiers threw at him, despite him fighting for their sake too. Atem felt his nervousness and took a hold of his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze to calm him down.

"Just walk, don't pay attention to the crowd. Your face isn't exposed and neither is mine." The taller general guided him towards the town outskirts where the whole event was taking place.

Yugi became more relaxed as he observed the stands where people were selling food and the festive decorations around them. Everyone seemed like they were having a good time, laughing and going on with their peaceful lives. The young general was happy that things looked alright now, but still couldn't shake off the dark aura he felt, the one that Dark Magician had mentioned.

"Are you here to see the performers? It's a cheap price and it's truly a unique show." A woman wearing a colorful dress and carrying a basket full of tickets approached them with a smile.

"We'll take two," Atem said instantly, handing her a few coins that she exchanged for the tickets.

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked once the woman had moved away, looking for more potential customers.

"Whatever it is that Mahad sensed, came from the very center of this." Atem pointed at the big tent, where other ticket holders were heading.

The duo entered and looked for two empty seats, which was rather difficult since more people were coming in. Fortunately they found seats with a decent view just before the show started. A chubby looking man in festive clothes stepped on the stage welcoming the audience. People began to clap, eager to see what was in store for them. The man bowed and performed few card tricks before he excused himself to give the stage to the next act.

The performers were mostly either dancers in flashy clothes or acrobats doing the impossible, with a few animal tamers. The crowd went wild with each act, shouting to entertainers about how good they were and giving them loud applause. The whole time Atem tried to scan the area for the dark aura, but the large number of performers all moving around meant he failed to detect the exact source. He was about to send a message to their spirit partners to give them a hand in the search when the announcer appeared once more, this time in different clothes.

"And now Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment you've been all waiting for! Here comes the wonder no one has ever seen, the being with the most mysterious eyes!" the man shouted dramatically, a group of performers already leading a small figure onto the stage "I give you the Boy With the Odd Eyes!"

The announcer stepped away, revealing a young boy behind him. The boy didn't seem older than ten, in fact the slightly oversized performer clothes made him look even younger. But what the audience saw first was not his young age, but rather his strange features.

One of his eyes was vivid green, while the other was crimson red.

The crowd began to whisper, many of them expressing their disgust at how weird he looked like. Yugi heard such words as _spawn of the spirits_ , which made him clench his fist. Around him, the audience wondered what kind of show a freak like him would give them, and one person joked that all the wild animals had gotten their time to shine already.

But the boy paid them no mind as he too bowed to the audience with a smile, fully prepared to begin. He began by gripping the rope hanging from the trapeze, climbing up as swiftly as a monkey. Once he was at the top, he grabbed the next rope, performing various tricks to draw their attention. The audience got caught up in the act, many cheering when he swung down to stand directly on the ball below. Using his legs he began to roll it all over the stage, pulling several balls out of his pockets and juggling them. The Pendulum generals admitted that he was indeed a skillful performer, far more amusing than previous acts. The boy kept the smile on his face while winking at the audience with his heterochromic eyes.

The whole affair appeared normal enough, with the dark aura still undetected. Yugi was about to dismiss the whole thing when, all of a sudden, he noticed something in a split second that no one else apart from Atem did.

The boy had reached the climax of his act when he let out a peal of genuine laughter and said something that sounded like thank you. There would have been nothing wrong with it had the announcer not given him the sternest look possible. As soon as his eyes landed on the man's angry face, the boy froze completely. His smile turned to fear as he struggled to keep his balance on the three balls while swinging hula-hoops in his hands. One of the hoops was already at the tips of his fingers, slowly slipping off while the other started spinning uncontrollably.

As the first hoop hit the floor, the announcer seemingly became angrier, sending another, even scarier look to the odd-eyed boy. If one look had disturbed his concentration and balance, the second certainly broke it. The second hoop fell to the ground and so did the boy, balls scattering all around.

The boy seemed to have trouble picking himself up and yet he still kept his smile on, as though he had fallen intentionally. He shakily got to his feet, probably injured from his fall, and was prepared to wrap his act up, but before he could do anything two staff members appeared behind him. The boy flinched as they dragged him off the stage, the announcer politely stepping forward instead. The audience quickly forgot about the awkward situation when a group of dancers appeared to begin the new act.

All but the two Pendulum rulers. The boy wasn't the source of the dark aura - it was coming from the announcer, the staff members who took the boy away, and even more performers. The dark energy was increasing, not on the stage but behind the scenes. They knew they had to investigate further into the group in charge of the show. Atem was also worried for the boy with the oddly colored eyes.

Despite all the smiles the young performer was giving the audience, he knew well that it wasn't genuine - he couldn't be fooled. Not after spending so much time with his always cheerful Aibou who would often smile even if he wasn't alright. By now Atem knew well what the difference between a fake and real smile was, and the odd eyed boy was certainly a very good actor.

The crowd might've seen joyfulness, but he saw something far different.

The boy had been scared the entire length of his performance. And the announcer was definitely the cause of it.

The moment the show ended, Yugi and Atem tried to find their way to the announcer who also seemed to be in the charge of the whole show. But due to the thick crowd, they couldn't get there. The taller general so gestured his intent to leave the tent and rather search for the boy outside, where the carriages were parked. Carefully they passed the groups of tired dancers and acrobats, all of them resting by the fire and chatting about the show. There were also tamers who were leading the animals back to their cages and putting away the gear for their acts.

It was a while before they found the boy with mismatched eyes near another smaller tent, likely used for storing props and such for the show. The boy now only wore a tattered long shirt that reached all the way to his knees, his feet bare and head down. He was shaking so badly that he could barely stand in front of the announcer, who was so furious that his face was coloured red.

"Just what the hell was that?!" the man demanded, the boy flinching at the harsh words. "When have I ever allowed you to interact with the audience, let alone talk?!"

"I. . . I'm sorry. . ." boy stuttered, his voice full of fear, ". . . I. . . just thought. . ."

"Thought what? That you're an actual star? Don't make me laugh!" The man slapped him so hard the boy fell to the ground. "I've told you loud and clear, no interacting with the crowd!"

"B. . . but. . . I. . ." the child tried to explain only to receive a kick to his legs.

"You're just a freak to be watched, that's all what you are!" the man yelled.

Yugi and Atem could hardly hold themselves back when they saw that the announcer did not stop there. When the boy attempted to crawl away, he felt the man's foot connect with his stomach. And then with his chest. The beating didn't end even though the young performer quietly begged him to stop, tears streaming down his face. Once the man was done, the boy curled up in fetal position, clutching his injured torso in hopes the pain would stop.

But it didn't. The boy cried out when he felt his hair being pulled to bring him face to face with the announcer. His tiny hands scrabbled desperately at those of his, the man simply tightening his hold until the boy no longer had any strength to struggle.

"You're nothing but trash no one wants!" he continued to shout, the boy barely conscious due to the pain. "You're lucky you have those freakish eyes. People pay good money just to see an exotic creature like you."

The boy sobbed silently as the words stabbed into him like a knife. The man was right, that's all he ever was. He was just a boy with different coloured eyes which made him a freak that people liked to watch. Not his acts that he worked hard to master, not him as a performer, only as the freak the owner of the show loved to parade around.

The man then dragged the child inside the tent, Yugi and Atem slowly following, thinking it must be the place where the boy was kept when he wasn't performing. They were shocked to realize that anything at least resembling a bed or resting place wasn't there. Instead there was a small cage filled with straw, similar to those where the animals for the show were kept. The announcer threw the barely conscious boy in the cage and locked it tight. The young performer used the little strength he had left to curl into a tight ball, so there would be at least a little space around him. The cage barely fit him since it was meant for the dogs and even though he was scrawny, he couldn't fully extend his arms and legs in it.

"You better be conscious when I return. There'll be some nobles who're excited to see your eyes," the man muttered, whistling cheerily as he left the tent.

The Pendulum rulers watched him go and had every urge to give the guy a piece of their minds. But they needed to think rationally if they truly wanted to help the poor child lying in a cage like a prized animal. Their Millennium Puzzles glowed faintly as they formed a plan within their minds. They nodded in agreement and separated in order to fulfill their roles.

Atem summoned Dark Magician while Yugi called for Dark Magician Girl to give him a hand. The spirits turned invisible and teleported to join them, with Mahad following Atem out of the tent while Mana stayed with Yugi.

The taller general didn't need long before he found the owner of the show in another, luxuriously decorated tent where he was quaffing glass after glass of wine. Atem entered slowly, scaring the man a bit with how sinisterly he walked, the moonlight shining behind him.

"Who are you and what do you want? The show's over," the man said, pouring himself another drink.

"Is it really?" Atem asked coyly, sitting down next to him and leaning forward matter-of-factly. "Because I can make it last longer."

"We have enough performers, kid. So I suggest you get the hell out of here before I call the guards." He felt like he'd dealt with enough of the 'boy's' nonsense, and it didn't help that the wine was getting to his head.

"Oh my, I didn't mean for the audience, but just for you." Atem, who had somehow got the deck of cards, held it out. "Why don't we play a little game?"

The man was initially confused - how had this strange hooded person got his magic trick cards in the first place? - but seeing how skillfully he shuffled the deck and spread it across the table, he started thinking. The kid wasn't half bad and if he wanted to play a game in order to prove himself in some way, he might have skills worth hiring him for.

"Heh, sure young man, but I must warn you I'm not keen on losing." He downed another glass while suspiciously eying the cards "What kind of game are we playing."

"It's a simple game of drawing cards. We take turns removing one to three cards from all the cards that you have. Last one to take a card loses." Atem crossed his legs as if to say he was ready.

"You're right, it is quite simple. I'll start," the man grinned, taking three cards at once.

Meanwhile, Yugi received Atem's message that the announcer was sufficiently distracted, and shouldn't notice what was going on in the other tent. Quietly, the short general approached the cage, seeing that the boy still cried, even in his sleep.

"The poor child. . ." Dark Magician Girl murmured sadly. "Just what kind of beings beat their young? Spirits would never treat any child so horribly!"

"I know Mana, I know." Yugi studied the lock, mentally searching for a way to open it. "That's why we're taking him away from this horrible man."

Together, they were able to undo the rather complicated lock without the key. The cage's door creaked loudly when the Pendulum ruler opened it, praying that Atem's distraction was good enough. The noise made the boy stir from his unconsciousness, slowly opening his mismatched eyes. Now that he saw him up close, Yugi realized just how bad a state the child was in. Apart from the forming bruises he had received earlier, he had many more all over his body - most were on his arms and legs, since they were easy to conceal with costumes during performances. The bruises on his seemingly underweight body were also accompanied by cuts and what appeared to be cigarette burns. The boy was truly battered and needed to get away before that man could treat him any worse.

But when Yugi held out his hand, the child scooted deeper into the cage. His eyes were once again full of tears and he began to tremble - it was like he thought the Pendulum Ruler and female spirit were monsters.

"D-don't. . . touch me. . ." the boy winced, setting his hands like a shield he hoped would protect him from another stranger. "You c-can. . . only watch. . ."

Yugi gave him a puzzled look, then remembered what that horrible man said when he was leaving. The boy was supposed to be displayed for some rich nobles and he probably thought Yugi was one of them. That made things a bit difficult. The child was terribly frightened, and as a result, hard to approach.

"It's alright, we're not here to hurt you," the short general said gently. "My name is Yugi and this is Dark Magician Girl, but you can call her Mana."

"Do you have a name too, little one?" she asked, crouched down to get on boy's level.

The boy was still shaking from the encounter with strangers, but their soothing voices and gentle gestures convinced him to remove his hands from his face. Slowly he looked at the duo, his oddly colored eyes connecting with theirs. Seeing the sincere faces and not the scary ones or the ones that were just acting nice, the boy eventually told them what he had been forbidden to say for so many years.

"Yu. . . ya. . ." he said, almost instantly regretting it and covering his mouth like he had uttered the nastiest of curses.

"Hey, it's okay." Yugi tried to calm the fidgeting boy down. "Your name is Yuya?"

The young performer nodded, his mouth still clamped shut. _'His trust will be quite difficult to earn from everything the poor child has been through,'_ Yugi thought. But if they wanted to bring light into his nearly lifeless eyes, they needed to get him out of that filthy cage as soon as possible. Though that was easier said than done with how Yuya reacted towards fast movements. Fortunately Dark Magician Girl had her own way to deal with those kinds of problems.

"That's a very lovely name," she cooed, gradually bringing her hand closer and closer to his. "Why don't you shake hands with Yugi and greet each other properly?"

Yuya gave her a confused look when he saw Yugi's hand entangling with his. His first reaction was to back off right away, but once he felt the soft fingertips that belonged to the kind voice, he gave in to the little comfort he so rarely experienced. He not only held the hand, but threw himself unreservedly into Yugi's arms. Yuya, who only knew the harsh hits and mocking touches, didn't care if these two strangers would beat him up right after giving him this comfort. He just wanted to be held, to be in someone's protective arms - if only for a little while. That was all he ever prayed for, during the nights when that man was exceptionally drunk and would take all of his anger out on him.

Yugi was a bit taken aback when Yuya clung to him with tiny hands, sobbing quietly into his shoulder. The Pendulum ruler gently slipped his arm under the child's backside, so he could carry him more comfortably. Yuya only tightened his grip as if begging to never be let go of. Yugi had dealt with many scared and injured children during the war, human and spirits alike, but not one had ever been in a state as damaging as this boy was. Most of them had been scared or injured, though none had been taught to believe their own existence was a sin. It wasn't Yuya's fault that his eyes looked different from those of others, so what gave the humans the right to treat him as less than an animal?

"Mana, teleport us back to the meeting place, we have to leave," Yugi said, securing his hold on Yuya.

"Right away, Master." She nodded, and with a swift movement of her staff they were engulfed by light, appearing back at the edge of the forest. Neither Atem or Dark Magician were back yet, though he could feel through his Millennium Puzzle that their part would soon be complete as well. Yugi took off his cloak, wrapping it around the shivering child in his arms and sitting down so Yuya would be more comfortable.

Dazed from everything he'd undergone that day, the odd-eyed boy still waited to receive his punishment. He wasn't allowed to touch anyone while others were allowed, even encouraged, to touch him in order to confirm that his mismatched eyes were real. The stranger was probably just playing nice to see his eyes for free and would return him to that man as soon as he grew tired of him, right? Or he might be resold to another cruel man, as had happened before. One of those things always happened whenever he got his hopes up, and by now he'd convinced himself to take any comfort given to him when he could and face the consequences later. Even if it was only for a little while, Yuya considered worth the time in his cage of suffering.

Yugi felt the child snuggling closer to him, like he was trying to take in all the warmth he could from him. The Pendulum ruler didn't blame him. If the cage, the beatings, and people's harsh words were all he'd ever known, Yuya had every right in the world to seek comfort in the spirits' general - where else if the poor child's own kind had forsaken him? Yugi could only tuck the child further under his cape and stroke his messy hair as he waited for his partner.

Back at the owner's tent, Atem and the man had nearly taken all the cards off the table. Only five were left, and it was now the Pendulum ruler's turn. The man laughed, knowing he wasn't far from winning.

"You were good so far kid, but you're definitely going to lose," he said, grinning at the remaining cards.

"Is that so?" Atem asked with just as much confidence in his voice.

"But of course. With only five cards left and your turn, you're going to lose regardless of how many cards you take." The man eyed the cards that were still on the table. "If you take one, I'll take three. That leaves one. If you take two, then I'll take two. If you take three, then I'll take one and leave one. In any case you'll be taking the last card."

"I see, but let's just continue until the game ends," the general said while taking one card, the owner grabbing three right after.

"Told you kid, there's only one card left." the man picked up his glass. "Now go ahead and take it as the loser you are."

Atem's expression remained neutral as he reached toward the card, but instead of picking it up, his hand went further. The owner gave him a confused look, caused by both the drink and the menacing glow of the Pendulum ruler's eyes, when Atem's fingers slipped underneath the man's long sleeves.

"What the. . ." he muttered when the general pulled out the two Joker cards hidden there.

"I said all the cards that you had," Atem reminded him with a smirk. "I know perfectly well that every magician keeps a couple of cards up their sleeves."

"But. . . but that can't be!" the man protested, staring shakily at the single card on the table.

"Go on, pick up the last card." the Pendulum ruler slid it across the table.

"Screw you!" The man shouted as he threw all the cards off the table, some of them hitting Atem in the process.

Atem only stood up and as he stared back at the carnival owner, a giant golden eye appeared on his forehead. The man lost his footing as he stumbled back in fear, realizing that standing beside the mysterious kid was another, much taller person in a purple outfit.

"I see you have absolutely no honour, not even for something so simple as playing a game." Atem's Millennium puzzle began to turn of its own accord, glowing with a strange power. "This completely justifies the punishment that awaits you."

The owner was at a loss for words when the second person became more visible, pointing his weird-looking staff at him while chanting unrecognizable words. The tent was filled with a menacing violet glow that engulfed anything it came across, even the man. The shadows flooded the spot where he stood, drowning him in endless amounts of whatever it was that Atem had unleashed.

"The door of darkness has opened. . . and the darkness such as yourself belongs there," the general intoned, the owner barely hearing him over the pounding of his own heart. "The shadows will forever chase you for all the horrible crimes you committed in your life. You shall never hurt another child ever again!"

By the end of the final, shouted sentence, the darkness vanished and the tent seemed the same as before. The only difference was the man now on the ground, mumbling incoherently. The place might appear normal to others, but all he saw were the shadows creeping around his body. Atem refused to give the abuser a final look as he left the tent, Dark Magician not far behind.

"Let's get back to Yugi, Mahad. I fear I might do the same to every human I come across." Atem took a deep breath, the Millennium Puzzle ceasing to turn and the eye on his forehead fading as he did.

"We'll be there in a moment Master." Mahad quickly chanted the spell and they too transported away, before the other performers could spot them.

The next moment, when Atem opened his eyes again, he saw Yugi sitting on the ground with Dark Magician Girl beside him. She was gently caressing the boy's hair, cooing a lullaby to him as he lay in Yugi's lap since, despite his exhaustion, Yuya was still very much awake. When he saw Atem accompanied by Dark Magician, the odd-eyed boy quickly retreated beneath the cloak wrapped around him, obviously scared by more strangers.

 _"_ _How is he?"_ Atem asked - through their link, so he could avoid scaring the child more than he already had.

 _"_ _Frightened would be a mild word for it. Yuya - that's his name - has likely never experienced anything even remotely close to a loving touch. He will need a lot of time before he will truly recover; the physical injuries will heal, but the mental damage he suffered. . ."_ Yugi gazed at the wide-open pair of different-coloured eyes. _"I don't know if he will ever recover from it. . ."_

 _"_ _Zarc will know what to do,"_ the taller general assured his partner, making him blink in confusion.

 _"_ _Zarc? Are you really sure this is. . ."_ Yugi started, interrupted by Atem before he could finish.

 _"_ _Aibou, wasn't this exactly what we've been looking for from the start? Yuya needs someone who will help him get past all the trauma and Zarc needs someone who will fill the void in his heart. They will complete each other that way,"_ Atem said, making his partner nod in agreement.

With their decision made, their spirit partners performed another teleportation spell, this time travelling much further than they had before. Yuya squeezed his eyes shut, as that kind of a transport was something he hadn't experienced before. It was like something pulled them into a bubble which was blown away at a very high speed and popped when it reached their destination. The odd eyed boy was nearly blinded by the bright place where they have arrived. While the place they were before was already in the dark of night, this place was illuminated as though it was the middle of the day.

Yuya curiously observed white marble walls traced with lines in silver and golden, brightly colored crystals serving as the lamps that provided the light. The child flinched a bit when Yugi started moving; he was so impressed by the beautiful building that he nearly forgot he was still in the arms of a stranger. The two Pendulum rulers tried to get to their Dragon King as soon as possible before the other spirits could see a human child in the palace. It wasn't that the spirits would be shocked to see a human - thanks to the positive influence of the Zarc's loyal generals, spirits saw them differently; they just preferred to get the news to their king first, then to the subjects.

They passed numerous hallways and staircases on their way. They saw magician and fairy spirits, as those types of spirits were closest to the dragon king. Atem had offered to carry Yuya, but Yugi declined politely as the odd-eyed boy clung to him like a baby koala, refusing to be touched by anyone else. The Pendulum rulers almost regretted having personally advised Zarc to make the whole palace - except the entryway - teleportation free in case of attack. Now gasping for breath after climbing so many stairs, Yugi carrying a child on top of that, the generals finally reached the entrance to the throne room. The generals spoke with the Gazers who guarded the door and after Atem had explained everything, Stargazer Magician guided them in while Timegazer accompanied Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl behind them.

Zarc was back in his human form, resembling a man in his thirties with silver hair that bore the same green markings as his dragon form. Instead of on his throne he was sitting at a separate desk covered in what appeared to be royal documents. He seemed tired from the work and despite that he was still going through some papers. The generals knew that such work was just one of the many distractions Zarc liked to use in order to drown the pain in his empty heart.

"Your Majesty." Atem bowed, the Dragon King needing some time to realize he had visitors.

"Atem? Yugi? What are you doing here? Is something going on in Pendulum?" Zarc quickly pushed away several scrolls as he tried to cover the mess on his table, failing to notice an additional visitor besides his generals.

"No, Your Highness, everything is fine," the taller general replied, calming down the Dragon King who was still taking in his surroundings after hours of nothing but reading reports.

"Oh." Zarc became confused since his generals usually visited him if there was trouble in their kingdoms. "What is it then?"

Atem nodded to his Aibou, who slowly approached the silver haired man, slowly removing the cloak from the odd-eyed boy. Zarc gave them a confused look, but once he saw Yuya's bright mismatched eyes, he felt like he was staring at the most precious treasure in the kingdom. The crimson colored eye glowed like a ruby while the other reminded him of a shiny emerald, together in a little treasure chest. For a few moments Zarc just stared at the child who was almost as puzzled as him, wondering where the strangers had brought him.

Once Zarc came back to himself, he noticed another much less pretty thing about the boy. His thin arms and legs were covered by nothing but the marks of cruelty. If there was one thing the Dragon King despised more than anything in the human world, it was child abuse. Witnessing it firsthand during the war had enraged him enough to set the world on fire if needed. The moment he got close enough to Yuya, he was hit with all the painful memories the poor child carried. The cold bars of the cage, the prying eyes full of mockery and hate, the performances where he was forced to smile when he was on the verge of crying and all the horrible people that passed him around like prized goods. Zarc wanted to turn into his dragon form and outright burn the people who hurt that boy. But that didn't matter at the moment.

"This child. . . he's not a spirit," was the only thing Zarc could say as he observed Yuya in Yugi's arms. "Though with those eyes, he might as well be one of us."

"We found him back in the human world, caged like an animal and displayed like an object," Atem explained.

"Humankind despises everything connected to spirits, and due to his features. . ." Yugi said, feeling Yuya begin to shake again, "well, he can't change how he looks and that's why his own kind shunned him. We couldn't leave him in a world that sees him as heresy."

Zarc was now closer to Yuya, gently touching his shaking hand. The boy backed off at first, then either allowed the Dragon King to touch him or simply ran out of strength to resist. The generals recalled seeing their king like this several times before, whenever there was a young or injured spirit. Zarc would instantly act like a parent, first calming them down with gentle words then offering to help them in some way. He was now doing the same thing with Yuya, who was returning the touch while quietly observing this new stranger who had a pleasant aura surrounding him. It was like Zarc had. . . something, something that felt just right whenever he approached his spirits or the generals. And just like himself, he also felt a little something coming from Yuya.

"This child's aura, it's. . . it's. . . I don't know. . ." Zarc mumbled, feeling Yuya's tiny hand squeeze his.

"We thought you could help him." Atem broke the silence, making his ruler blink in surprise.

"Me?" the Dragon King uttered in surprise when, all of a sudden, the child was in his arms instead of Yugi's.

"Yes, the boy needs a place in this world where he won't be beaten and treated like a monster," the taller general said.

"And we believe it has to be you. After all, Yuya shivered in my arms even after I did everything I could to comfort him. But with you, he calmed down almost instantly," Yugi added with a smile, seeing the odd-eyed boy snuggle closer to Zarc.

The Dragon King was at a loss for words when he saw the half-dazed child holding onto him, like he was afraid this new stranger would drop him as soon as he got bored of him. The man did his best to assure him he wouldn't be doing that as he tightened his hold on him, but with care as he was like a fragile porcelain doll that would shatter any given moment.

"I. . . I don't know what to say. . ." The mighty king, after a long time, finally showed his softer side. "This boy. . . you said his name is Yuya? I'm not sure if I am truly capable of healing this fragile child."

"Your Majesty, there's no other spirit as caring and deserving to be a parental figure as you," Atem stated, sinking any more doubts that Zarc had.

"He belongs with you, just like you belong with him," Yugi said, smiling when Yuya began to play with the various buttons on Zarc's jacket.

Then Zarc finally saw just what made him feel so connected with this child. It was their auras. Even though Yuya wasn't a spirit, the radiant aura around him felt nearly the same as Zarc's. It wasn't a coincidence, it was faith. Something brought his generals to this innocent boy and they brought the child to him. Pressing Yuya against his chest as much as he could without injuring or scaring him, Zarc felt - if only for a moment - like he was complete. Like the emptiness in his heart was filled, if only a little. In that moment he knew he would keep the child, who threw his arms around him in return, like he was begging him to never leave him alone.

"Xiangsheng," Zarc called and another of his loyal magicians appeared in the room. She wore a white dress with some autumn coloured areas, while her face was partly covered.

"Yes, my king?" the female magician asked, surprised at seeing Zarc with a human child in his arms.

"Please, draw us a warm bath with a mixture of healing magic. Also, find some clean clothes and prepare one of the guest rooms." The Dragon King was back to talking in his usual authoritarian manner.

"It will be done, right away." Xiangsheng Magician bowed as she hurried off to prepare what she was ordered.

Zarc, still securely holding Yuya, turned back to his generals who were already prepared to leave. The man wasn't sure what to say to them, although the Pendulum rulers only bowed to him, fully knowing their king was engulfed by all kinds of emotions he hadn't experienced for so long. He wanted to thank them, to tell them just how much that meant to him and how whole he felt after years of nothing but war and loneliness.

"You don't need to thank us; you've already done so much for us," Atem said, his arm around his Aibou's shoulders.

"It's your turn to be happy." Yugi nodded as he too headed to the exit, their spirit partners closely behind.

With the two generals gone, Zarc was alone with the child. Yuya still clung to him for dear life, his eyes threatening to tear up any second. The Dragon King could only trace circles on the boy's back and whisper sweet nothings to keep him from striking out. It must've been painful for the boy, taught to conceal his true emotions for years, to truly express himself. For him to shed a single tear, even when he wasn't performing, was a sin that had to be punished.

"Little one, you don't need to hold back your tears. You are allowed to cry," Zarc said as he headed out of the throne room. Then it was like a burden was lifted off Yuya's shoulders, the boy instantly tearing up into Zarc's shirt. The Dragon King didn't care if his clothing got dirty; this child was more important than a shirt he could simply change. No, in that moment Yuya's well-being was all that mattered.

It didn't take long before they reached the guest room, connected to a bathroom from where running water was heard. Xiangsheng Magician was arranging fluffy towels, soaps, bottles of shampoo, combs, and the smallest pair of clean clothes she could find, all on the table near the sink. The warm bath water gave off a radiant smell of blooming flowers, coaxing Yuya to relax a bit, since it had been a while since he was cleaned by something more than a rag and bucket of ice cold water. Without a word Zarc took one of the towels and set Yuya on the edge of the bathtub to remove the dirty shirt he wore.

"Thank you, Xiansheng, I'll be taking over from here," Zarc said, gently wrapping the towel around Yuya's body before getting rid of his tattered clothing.

"My king, are you sure you can do it without my help?" the female spirit asked, surprised to see her superior in such a position.

"I fought wars, giving a child a bath shouldn't be a problem," was the only thing he said, his servant understanding as she disappeared from the bathroom.

Being bare with nothing but a towel to cover him up made Yuya a bit more fidgety when Zarc went to put him in the bath. However, the way he held him and carefully set him in the warm water calmed him down, and for a while it made him forget about anything else.

The bath felt heavenly, like a warm blanket tucking him in and gently caressing his all too sensitive skin. Even his cuts and bruises didn't sting, like the water itself had a healing effect. It was like all of time stopped, with only him existing in a tiny little world where he was all alone, but feeling safe and happy.

He was brought out of his reverie when he felt a bar of soap being rubbed against his back. The action scared him to the point of retreating to the other side of the bathtub, throwing his hands in front of his naked and oh so vulnerable form, curling up in a ball. Yuya began to shiver all over again, remembering the times when all he wanted to do was sleep, but people would stick their hands into his tiny cage whenever they pleased. At times he would even wake up in the middle of the night, still feeling those prying hands all over his body.

"Pl. . . please don't touch. . . me," Yuya hiccupped, a new set of tears running down his face.

Zarc's heart nearly shattered when he saw the odd-eyed boy in such a state, pitiful and curled up like a terrified cub. Yuya continued to sob, hoping this one stranger, unlike so many others before him, would respect his little request. For several minutes the boy refused to peek out from the shelter of his arms, until he finally gathered the courage to look. The Dragon King was indeed still there, looking at him with a washing rag and soap in his hands, but patiently sitting on the chair. Yuya wiped his tears away, making slight eye contact with the stranger who approached him in a gentle manner.

"Yuya. . . I know you're afraid of being touched, any child would after an ordeal such as yours, but I have to wash you up. You won't be able to heal up properly if you aren't clean," Zarc said, showing him the bar of soap and bottle of shampoo.

The child didn't say a thing, staring at his blurry reflection in the bathtub. Despite the aura that calmed him so much when he was carried around by the stranger, the touch to his exposed skin was on an entirely different level. While it did comfort him, the past memories prevented him from enjoying it the way he wanted. Yuya clenched his fist as more tears poured out - he was clearly caught in a nightmare he would never truly be released from. No matter what he tried doing to escape them, images of the past caught up to him every time, recapturing him in the torturous cage he was never truly released from.

"My name is Zarc," the Dragon King said all of a sudden. "But you can call me Haoryuu."

"Hao. . . ryuu?" Yuya repeated reluctantly.

"Yeah. . . since I know your name, it's only fair that you know mine too, right?" Zarc, without Yuya noticing, moved marginally closer.

"Haoryuu." The boy said it again, this time with more certainty.

"That's right. . . that's me and I swear I'll only touch you in order to clean you up. Look." Zarc wrapped a washing rag around his hands "I won't even touch you skin to skin."

Yuya stared at the strange man, now known to him as Haoryuu. Deep down he was still afraid of him, but now, seeing him so sensitive and somewhat playful, Yuya slowly moved back to his original spot, turning his back to him.

"Here." Yuya twitched when something was put into his hands. "You can hold this. If you squeeze it, it will help you to calm down."

The boy, still puzzled, held a washing sponge in his hands; it was drenched but interesting to hold all the same. By the time Zarc began to carefully scrub his body, Yuya was busy with studying a completely random object, though it was wholly new to him. The Dragon King made sure to remove all the filth that marked the little boy and he was careful with the marks he couldn't remove. There were scars, narrow and deep all over his back. Then there were little burn marks on his limbs, especially on his hands and feet. To add to that, there were bruises forming all over his body, a particularly obvious one on his face. Zarc tried hard not to pry into the boy's memories too much, but he had to know what caused all those injuries so he would know how to treat them.

What he saw could be only described as something straight from hell. The whip hitting the boy's back until it drew blood. Cigarettes being stubbed out against his skin until his voice went hoarse from all the screaming. And that awful man beating him whenever he felt like it, especially when he was in particularly bad mood or his intoxicated mind acted on its own. Zarc could hardly keep his dragon claws and horns from forming, thanks to the anger he felt towards the humans who abused this child to the point where he could hardly be comforted.

But for now he had to push all thoughts of vengeance aside. Yuya was luckily distracted enough with the sponge that he could proceed with bath time. The child's hair was messy and also rather long, reaching to his shoulders. Considering the rest of his body though, his hair was in rather good condition, probably due to performances where he had to look presentable.

"Now it's time for the shampoo. It will make so many bubbles that you won't even feel my hands." Zarc continued speaking playfully to keep Yuya from getting scared.

Yuya looked away from the sponge and following Zarc's instructions, closed his eyes when a cup of water was poured over his head. For a second he was immersed in a memory of when the owner would hold his head under water as a punishment, making him squeeze the sponge nervously. He wanted to get out of the bathtub, but then he felt Zarc's gentle fingers. This being his first time washing someone else's hair, even the Dragon King was surprised by how well he did it. Being extra careful not to get any shampoo in Yuya's eyes, he carefully rubbed the places that appeared to be injured, likely from times when the boy's hair pulled or even ripped off.

Overall though, while his hair was being washed, Yuya entered into state of utter bliss. Compared to the moment when he was placed into the warm water, this a hundred times better. The way those fingers carded through the sensitive parts that hadn't felt that before, it was like he was in that world where he was all alone again. Only this time there was someone with him, making sure this moment would never end. Yuya nearly fell asleep from being pampered like a newborn puppy, feeling like a brand new person when the water was poured over him again to wash away the shampoo.

With Zarc deeming Yuya clean enough he gently scooped him up and wrapped him up in a soft towel before the boy could panic again. The relaxing bath might've done a little to heal his mental scars but he still had a long way to go. Holding him close to his chest, Zarc used one hand to dry up the boy's hair with another smaller towel while the other hand kept him secure in his lap. With a pinch of his dragon powers, the Dragon King was able to dry Yuya's hair in seconds. He then picked up the fresh clothes that had been left for him.

"Come on, hands up." Zarc brought the oversized shirt to Yuya who immediately held out his arms, probably due to being ordered all the time back with the performers. The boy was quiet while the shirt and the rest of the clothing were put on him, though he deeply inhaled the cleanness of the clothes he wasn't used to.

Zarc then picked him up again, taking him to the guest room that was fully prepared for him. And what a room it was. It was easily two times bigger than his previous owner's luxurious tent, furnished with a queen sized bed where even the pillow was bigger than him.

Xiangsheng Magician was standing by the bed, putting a plate of something on the nightstand. While Zarc was busy with the bath, he had mentally sent a message to the female spirit, asking her to prepare a little something for Yuya. With how underweight he looked, Zarc refused to see the boy going to bed on an empty stomach - sadly, from the looks of it that was probably something Yuya was used to. The Dragon King would gladly send for a big dinner, the kind he would get for his generals, but considering how little the child would usually eat, he began with small portions. A small bowl full of the still warm porridge along with a glass of milk was a good way to start.

Zarc almost reluctantly put Yuya in the bed as the boy refused to let go, but once he was under the covers, the boy was taken away by its softness. In a single day he'd been through so many things he hadn't imagined would happen in his whole life. Being outside of his cage, the bath, the bed and this man, Haoryuu who made him feel like a person, not some carnival animal.

"Here, you must be hungry." Zarc set the plate closer to Yuya who shakily took a hold of the spoon.

"C-can I really. . . ?" the boy still stuttered, afraid he would mess something up.

"Please, you look like you're on the brink of death from how skinny you look." The man helped him scoop up a spoonful of porridge. "Come on, just a few bites. I promise it will get better once you get used to bigger portions."

Yuya carefully took the spoon in his mouth, tasting the sweet and grainy dish, better than anything what he was given - no, thrown - back there. He immediately put another spoonful of porridge in his mouth, and another and another. He felt as though he hadn't eaten in his whole life and this was the very first time he had eaten anything. As he ate the tears started streaming down his face, but not from sadness. The meal was so tasty it made him cry.

"Whoa easy Yuya, you'll get plenty of food once your stomach gets used to it." Zarc gently rubbed the boy's back when Yuya accidently swallowed too much porridge at once. "Drink this, it will go down better."

The odd eyed boy slowly gulped down the glass of milk, again enthralled by the taste. Once Zarc took the glass from him, Yuya fell against the pillow, covering his eyes that still had tears running from them. The Dragon King didn't mind that, only putting away the dishes and tucking Yuya under three sets of blankets to provide him with as much warmth as possible. The boy gratefully sank under them, after having nothing but a thin shirt and straw to cover himself during the cold nights. Zarc also used his powers to reduce the light the crystals in the room produced, so they glowed softly like the stars.

It all seemed to be the most perfect place to rest, like he was safe in heaven compared to the hell he was used to. But despite all the comfort the room offered, Yuya's mismatched eyes were still wide open, quietly staring at the ceiling.

"Yuya. . . why won't you sleep? You're clearly exhausted from everything you've been through." Zarc removed those few strands of the boy's hair that fell across his eyes.

"I-I'm afraid. . ." Yuya whispered.

"Afraid of what?" The man looked around, searching for anything that could scare the child.

"To. . . f-fall asleep. . ." the boy uttered, his form starting to shiver.

"There's nothing scary about falling asleep." Zarc stroked his head comfortingly.

"No. . . I-I don't want to sleep," Yuya replied, hiding his face under the blanket.

"But you should, otherwise you won't get better." The Dragon King gently lifted the covers off the boy's face.

"B-but if I fall asleep. . . this dream will end. . ." Yuya said, making Zarc gasp from surprise.

Only now did Zarc realize why Yuya had been acting alright for a terribly abused victim all this time. He was treating the whole ordeal as a nice dream. It made sense that he didn't struggle when he was being pampered and taken care of. He was so sure it was something he was dreaming about that he would rather enjoy it while he could before he woke up to a cruel reality again.

"Yuya. . . this isn't a dream, it's really happening. My generals Atem and Yugi found you and brought you to me. I really washed you up, gave you food and tucked you in." Zarc crouched down so his yellow eyes could meet Yuya's mismatched ones. "I'm here with you Yuya, I really am."

"Hao. . . ryuu. . ." Yuya breathed the man's name "W-what do I. . . do. . . to know. . . this won't end. . . after I fall asleep. . . ?"

Zarc thought a bit, thinking of ways to assure this child he would never be hurt, ever again.

"What if I hold your hand while you sleep?" the man entangled his fingers with Yuya's tiny one. "That way you will feel your hand in mine while you sleep and when you wake up, I'll still be here holding your hand."

Yuya curiously observed Zarc holding his tiny hand, seeing how much bigger it was in size compared to his. It took him a while, but at last he nodded, squeezing his Haoryuu's hand in approval. The Dragon King smiled and with a small peck to the boy's forehead, tucked him in for the last time.

"Sweet dreams little one." Zarc's words fell on Yuya's ears like a soft melody, lulling him to sleep.

Zarc waited patiently until Yuya's eyelids indeed fell down and his breathing became more subtle. And even then he stayed there with him. The Dragon King didn't feel tired like he usually did after a day of reading reports and royal documents. This little child made him feel alive after years of fighting for a world where spirits would be safe, but even after he got it, it didn't feel how he thought it would. But now when he was with Yuya, the human child whose own kind had forsaken him, he felt much closer to the ideal world he'd fought for.

It took a single soul to unlock his heart and free the emptiness that kept him in the shadow of this perfect world. Gently caressing Yuya's head with his free hand made him realize just what he had been missing and he was forever grateful that his generals had taken notice of it. He swore he would protect the child with the mysterious but pleasant aura from this day on, and make him forget all about the pain he lived with his entire childhood. No one would ever hurt his Yuya again, lest they wish to face the Dragon King's fury, which was far worse than all the stages of hell.

Stargazer Magician and Timegazer Magician would come to check on their king after few hours and taking note of what they saw, they left him alone with the human child. They found him asleep right next to Yuya, his hand still gently holding the boy's. Though they were surprised, to see him so peaceful after years of seeing him empty of emotion and walking around the castle as though he was still asleep was good news to them, so they set guards outside of the guest room. If their king was feeling the happiest near the child, then they had no problem with it.

Once the sun's rays gently peeked through the windows, waking up Zarc, he found Yuya still sleeping. The Dragon King knew he should get up and continue with his duties, but he also had spirits who could do exactly that in his stead. No, his duty right now was to fulfill his promise to the little boy. He waited a couple of hours more, dismissing at least a dozen of his servants and giving them orders for the work he would usually insist on doing himself. Zarc only let Xiangsheng Magician bring him his morning cup of tea and set a glass of milk aside for Yuya.

Then, around midday when the sun was high in the sky, the boy finally began to stir from his sleep. At first his mismatched eyes opened and closed at a steady pace, like he was seeing blurs and was trying to clear his vision. Zarc patiently waited until the boy finally turned towards him, Yuya's eyes widening from surprise when he saw the very man who was so kind to him in his dream.

"You. . . you're still here. . ." Yuya uttered when seeing Zarc's hand still holding his.

"Of course I am my little one." Zarc pressed his lips against his forehead, just as when he wished him good night.

"Haoryuu!" the boy yelled this time without stuttering as he threw himself directly into the man's arms, tears running down his cheeks more than ever. "You didn't leave me!"

"I would never even think about it. You're my little Firefly, Yuya." Zarc pressed him close to his chest, not daring to ever let him go.

"Firefly?" Yuya asked confusedly once he wiped his tears on the Dragon King's sleeve.

"Yes, they are small and fragile, but they shine as brightly as the stars in the sky. Just like you," he said, removing the drenched stands of Yuya's hair from his eyes.

"Am I really?" The boy expressed a little doubt, remembering the times when he was showered by pretty names, but just for show.

To drown that doubt, Zarc took him in his arms, carrying him to the window with the magnificent view on his kingdom. The birds flew high, the winds blew through the seemingly endless grass fields surrounding the castle and then there they were, watching all that beauty.

"Yuya, my brightest Firefly, I know well what is going through your little head." Yuya held Zarc tighter, afraid of what might follow. "I know well you're afraid of what the future has in store for you now that you're with me. But mark my words, I will do everything I can to take this pain away from you."

Yuya kept his face buried in Zarc's shirt, praying that this was indeed real, not just a continuation of the dream. It would happen from time to time that he felt as though he was freed from the cage, only to be locked back in right after by the same person who released him. He hoped with all of his heart that Zarc wasn't one of those people.

"I want to make the first step and this is to make you a promise." Zarc put his hand next to Yuya's, extending his pinkie. "I promise to never hurt you, to help you get through this nightmare and to never, ever leave you alone."

The boy was at first confused what the pinkie promise meant though with Zarc's help he also extended his pinkie, tangling it with the older man's. The Dragon King repeated his promise and Yuya promised to try to trust him more, which was a really hard thing for him to say after being betrayed so many times. But with this man, Haoryuu, he had a feeling he should give him a chance.

The two broken souls finally bonded and wowed to do their best to heal each other.

. . .

The first few weeks were quite challenging for Yuya. He would follow Zarc wherever he went and would find himself in distress if he was separated from him for too long. The Dragon King didn't mind, even going as far as carrying him around if the boy was too scared to go anywhere. The spirits respected their king's decision and would assist him in every way they could, though for now Zarc asked them to not get too close to Yuya. The poor kid would still get panic attacks if too many people - or in this case spirits - would approach him or ask him too many questions, to which he could only respond with stuttering if a panic attack hadn't begun.

The nightmares were the other problem besides panic attacks. Yuya would wake up screaming in the middle of the night, sometimes even tossing and turning to the point of falling off the bed or hitting his head against the bedpost. Zarc would start spending time next to Yuya while the child slept, usually reading a book or working on unfinished businesses so he could be there. At times, when Yuya's nightmares were particularly bad, he would ask one of the healing spirits to use magic to put him into a more peaceful sleep. With time Yuya's dreams became less violent, especially once the boy got used to his new environment.

The odd-eyed boy still ate less than he should, his stomach as well as his scars still recovering from the abuse. However, Zarc noticed Yuya's growing appetite and gradually added to his meals. Despite being back to usual-sized portions, the child was still far too skinny for Zarc's liking so he kept watch on the boy's condition in order to improve it.

But little by little, Yuya's state would improve. He would get close Stargazer and Timegazer Magician who would, like always, accompany Zarc in his throne room, giving Yuya plenty of time to get used to them. They broke the ice with the boy's numerous questions about stars that they were happy to answer, even if he asked them again and again. Xiangsheng Magician who would often be found near Yuya's room was another spirit who got closer to Yuya through friendly chats. She would tell him about Zarc's kingdom, about the war they all fought and everything about his royal generals.

Atem and Yugi also paid him a visit after Yuya got more used to people. They were glad that the frightened child they rescued from the cage was gradually turning into a curious and energetic little boy who was so full of life. Zarc thanked them each time for bringing Yuya into his life to which the generals simply replied he did the same for them.

Yuya would also learn to read and write properly so he could help Zarc with his work, though it was quite challenging for a child his age. But with the help of his Haoryuu reading him legends and other stories from his massive library, Yuya managed to become literate over time.

The greatest challenge for Yuya was to leave the palace for the first time without Zarc, accompanied only by Stargazer Magician and Timegazer Magician. At first he was fidgeting and constantly hiding underneath Stargazer's white robes, even though they assured him there were no spirits present where they were going. The nearby town seemed a bit difficult for the still afraid Yuya, but the grass fields that he watched with Zarc from the palace's balconies were alright. Once the boy got used to the soft grass and pretty flowers, his fears began to fade since he found absolutely nothing scary with them. More challenging was when a group of spirit children approached him, all wondering who he was. The Gazers were prepared to take him away should he suffered a panic attack, but since the spirit children were rather interested about him as a person and not as an exotic creature with weird eyes, Yuya got friendly with them quite fast.

Yuya grew, slowly losing the fear of being abused and betrayed all over again. Zarc saw it and greatly praised him for it, fully knowing that he still had a long way to go. He listened to his every question and never forgot to give him enough physical affection, so he could replace the terrible images of abuse, which haunted him during the night, with the ones full of Zarc's loving touches.

Even when the odd-eyed boy witnessed Zarc's true form, he just stared at him in awe, adoring the majestic wings and beautiful glowing green mark all over his body. Being no stranger to seeing spirits, dragon spirits included, Yuya really didn't find anything to fear about the one person who had shown him nothing but kindness ever since he was rescued from that abusive man.

Most of the time, the Dragon King would stay in his human form, sometimes showing some of his dragon features like claws, tail and even wings. The boy wasn't one bit bothered by them, just puzzled and asking questions of what kind of magic he used to make them appear and disappear. When he finally decided to finally reveal his dragon form to his little Firefly, Zarc was full of worry and nervousness of how would Yuya react to it. The last thing he wanted was scare off the poor child whose whole life was filled fear, especially now that he was doing so well. But then he remembered about the promise and not wanting to keep any secrets from Yuya, he gently took the boy's hand and took him outside on the grass field where was enough space for his size. Zarc ruffled Yuya's hair and held him so close to his chest that boy felt his rapid heartbeat, whispering on his ear.

"Firefly… this is not how I usually look like. I'm in this human form so I can do the work around the castle easier." Zarc said quietly.

"Then how do you look like? Do you have those wings? And tail? And long nails?" Yuya asked with a sign of excitement.

"Would you like me to show you?" the Dragon King was on the same eye level as the child was "I promise I'll turn right back."

Yuya nodded and watched wide-eyed how the familiar wings sprouted out of Zarc's back. The wings grew and soon the tail joined to his growing form. His skin turned dark, being replaced by countless black scales carrying green markings at many places. Zarc's face got extended, several horns grew on his head as well on his sides. Two blades appeared on his now clawed arms and his entire form was getting bigger until he was nearly three times bigger than Yusei's Stardust Dragon. Zarc's eyes were glowing in bright yellow, like amber. The Dragon King watched how Yuya approached his tail, which was the only part of his body that he could reach, running his tiny hand through the warm scales. Seeing that the child took in the situation without panic, he carefully set his dragon hands on the ground, nudging to the boy to come closer. Yuya understood the gesture and stepped on Zarc's giant hands that lifted him so the two of them were face to face. The head of the Dragon King was huge, so huge he had to step back in order to see both of his illuminating eyes. But they were in no means terrifying. No, they glowed gently, just like the stars or the crystals in his room, producing the light that made him feel safe.

"My Firefly… do you fear me?" Zarc asked, his voice deeper and slightly altered.

"No, Haoryuu." Yuya simply buried his head into one of Zarc's dragon cheeks.

"But I look like a monster. I could've hurt you even if I didn't pick you up right." the dragon muttered, still holding onto the child.

"But you didn't." Yuya said determined, completely opposite to the way his shy stuttering self once did "And the lights on you are so pretty."

"You really don't think I'm scary?" Zarc insisted.

"Those people were scary, you aren't. You look strong and big, but I know you won't hurt me. You promised you won't and I believe you." Yuya touched Zarc's cheek that suddenly had some sort of liquid running over it.

The Dragon King, majestic as he was, slowly reverted back to his human form while still holding Yuya in his arms. Soon he was back to his smaller size, but instead of standing he was down on his knees, his face buried in the boy's shirt. Zarc spent so many times watching Yuya cry his eyes out, tears running for hours until his gentle voice and soothing touches calmed him down. He saw the child cling to him whenever he was scared or when he just needed someone to comfort him. Yuya always saw him as a parent he never had, never as monster he feared he was to him. No, the child didn't have the ability to judge the book by its cover. Years of abuse by different people taught him that nothing is ever as it seems and that the actions are the ones speaking louder than words.

At so many times when Yuya cried onto his shoulder, Zarc was now the one who did. The Dragon King never shed a tear, not ever during the war, not ever during the years of his loneliness. He was the ruler of the Spirit Realm, the leader all spirits looked up to. He was in charge of his loyal generals that were one of the strongest humans he has ever known. He was the most powerful dragon spirit that ever was.

And yet it didn't matter at that moment. Deep down, he was just a lonely being, never having the joys to experience peaceful serenity with the ones he loved. He had all the right in the world to appear as weak and pathetic as he was in his heart, crying into child's shirt for the very first time. The boy who continued to fill his empty void with happiness, only threw his arms around Zarc's shoulders, fully knowing now was the time to return back the comfort that his Haoryuu has been giving to him for so long.

"Thank you Firefly… thank you…" Zarc murmured through sobs, tightening the hold on Yuya's shirt.

"Don't cry Haoryuu…" Yuya hardly looked at the Dragon King without tearing up "… it makes me cry…"

"No, no… you don't need to cry for me…" Zarc managed to put himself together, though few tears still slipped out "I swore to never make you cry."

"But you look like you are in pain… and I don't know how to help you." Yuya was back in Zarc's arms.

For a while the two of them just sat on the grass field, their heartbeats closer than ever. Yuya was surprised to see so many new sides of Zarc that day, but all of them didn't change a thing of how he saw him. He was still his Haoryuu no matter how he looked at it. Even if he was sad, he won't leave him, because Zarc never did when he was in tears. But at that moment, he really didn't know how to help him out besides crying with him and therefore sharing his pain.

"Smile." the man said suddenly.

"Smile?" the boy asked confusedly.

"Yes, smile my little Firefly. It has the power to heal that kind of a pain." Zarc lifted him up, Yuya giggling at the rush of the adrenaline when he was so high above the Dragon King.

"Like this, Haoryuu?" the boy laughed as he pulled silly faces.

"Yes! Just like this!" Zarc joined the laughter "See how it made me laugh? See how powerful it is?"

Yuya continued to laugh while Zarc spun around holding him under his armpits. The Gazers who watched them from the castle's balcony couldn't help but see them as a parent and a child who were spending their quality life together in the best light possible. Just the two of them, laughing to the silly activity they were in the middle of. In the end they were both on the ground, gasping but with smiles on their faces. Zarc turned toward Yuya, pressing his forehead against his so his amber eyes could connect with boy's mismatched ones.

"Never forget to smile." Zarc said, pressing a small peck to Yuya's forehead, making the boy's smile grow even wider.

. . .

Several months had passed since the day Atem and Yugi brought the battered child to Zarc's care. During all this time no other generals had met him personally, only through messenger spirits, as they had their hands full with some issues back in their kingdoms. Zarc was in the middle of sealing some letters and Yuya sat by the window with the Gazers, talking about their latest trip outside, when the entrance way opened all of a sudden.

Two generals, one with blue hair and another who was brunet charged right in, accompanied by their spirit partners. They were both catching their breaths, Zarc confusedly standing up from his table to ask them what was wrong. The general with brown hair, who Yuya remembered to be Judai, the ruler of Fusion domain, was clutching something wrapped in a blanket close to his chest.

"Your Majesty. . . we found this human child. . ." Judai said with his voice shaking.

"Please help him; he's going to die if he doesn't get proper medical attention!" the other general, Johan, continued.

"Let's get him to the healing ward then." Zarc had already opened the door "Stargazer stay with Yuya, Timegazer come with me."

The Magicians nodded with Stargazer taking Yuya towards the library, probably to keep him busy so he wouldn't witness whatever occurred next. Just before the Fusion rulers left the throne room, Yuya caught a brief glimpse of the person that Judai was carrying in his arms. The rapid movements shook the blanket off the child's face, revealing his pink and purple locks. But that wasn't what surprised Yuya the most.

The unconscious boy had the same face as him.

Preview for the next chapter: Judai and Johan discover a boy who is hiding a big secret, a boy who is starving for venom.

I'm so sorry, for putting poor Yuya through this (forgive me my little tomato :'( ) Yeah, I know I'll be probably going to hell for this (like with the future chapters) if Zarc the dragon dad won't turn me into the ashes first.

You'd probably guessed by now who the next Yu-boy will join the story and let me just say that his story will be a bit more disturbing, but hey what can you expect from our lovely psycho blossom XD

I'm still in my exam period, but I might use the chapter writing as a practice, though I can't promise anything. Kudos/comments/critics/questions/suggestions highly appreciated I love reading them and replying back :D Seeya until the next chapter - The Boy That is Starving for Venom


	3. The Boy Who Is Starving For Venom

First of all, I'm terribly sorry for not updating anything for months. I've been going through some heavy situations and lost my motivation to write a bit, but I'm still glad to continue receiving comments and kudos from you and that encouraged me enough to continue writing. I found Yuri's character quite difficult to write since his personality is so unique both in manga and anime, so I kinda took characteristics from both of his versions and managed to create this. Please check the tags before you start to read since his story is, like a mentioned before a bit disturbing (but knowing how many of you were eager to see Yuri's story, I guess you won't have too much trouble with it XD). Hope you enjoy!

PS: This chapter is not proofread since I had trouble contacting my proofreader, but as soon as I get the proofread version, I'll update it.

PPS: In case you didn't notice, I included an extra scene with Yuya seeing Zarc's dragon form towards the end of the previous chapter. Do check it out if you like cheesy stuff :P

It didn't take them long before they reached Healing Ward. Zarc might've made entire castle teleportation free, but his five Magicians were still able to use transporting magic due to being close to their king. The two generals were still gasping for breath, though they heard and followed every instruction from the Dragon King. Xiangsheng Magician was already there, a bit surprised when seeing an emergency so suddenly.

"Put him on that bed, it's the closest to the medical cabinet." Zarc announced, leading Judai towards the bed "Xiangsheng, get Xiangke Magician just in case."

The female spirit nodded, disappearing from the room as the brunet general carefully untangled the blanket off the injured child. At first, it had seemed like the blanket was colored red, but the more fabric was removed from him, more Zarc realized how serious the boy's condition was. His shoulder was bleeding heavily along with the whole arm, painting deathly pale skin with crimson. There were numerous cuts all over his body, his clothes so tattered that majority of his battered skin was exposed. And his face… it was beaten to a pulp. Even if the child wasn't unconscious he wouldn't be capable of raising his eyelids due to all the bruises surrounding his eyes. The two magicians appeared back, carrying a handful of healing herbs.

"What happened to him?" Zarc asked Johan who assisted Xiansheng and Xiangke Magician with arranging the plants on the table next to the bed.

"It's a long story, but for now we need to stop the bleeding and get the poison out of his system." Johan hurried back to Judai who was in process of removing the boy's clothing.

"He's been poisoned?" Xiangke Magician asked, already using his magic to detect the poison.

"Yes, we managed to get him the first aid, but it won't hold on for long." Judai pointed at several makeshift bandages. Even though Zarc's generals had the assistance of their spirit partners, they themselves had only limited amount of magic they could use and unfortunately neither Judai nor Johan were skilled in healing magic.

The magicians so proceeded to analyze the poison which turned out to be already deep in the boy's bloodstream, slowly killing him before external wounds could. Luckily Xiangke, as a magician of destruction, recognized poison fast and immediately started working on the antidote. Xiansheng, Timegazer and the generals in the meanwhile took care of the wounds, one looking worse than the previous one. Johan's Crystal Beasts and Yubel assisted as well, either by bringing them the items necessary for treating the wounds or simply for providing their own spirit energy to help out the dying boy.

What felt like hours, but was actually less than an hour, in reality, eventually ended with the boy safely patched up and antidote taking an effect in fighting the poison. All beings present, humans and spirits alike took a sigh of relief since the boy was finally out of danger. Xiangke stood by the child's side, his focus entirely dedicated to watching over his condition, should his state change. Zarc was there too, sitting on a chair and feeling like he was reliving the very same scene as months before.

The boy was after all not only a human child but wore the very same face as Yuya. While they were treating the boy Zarc didn't pay much attention to his features, not to mention the bruises marked his face greatly, though once they were done he couldn't help to notice the similarities. Was Yuya by any chance related to the mysterious boy? If it weren't for a different hair color, Zarc would as well think the odd-eyed boy was there, beaten up all over again. But that wasn't him, Stargazer assured him that Yuya was with him in the library at the moment, re-reading one of his favorite books. The Dragon King thought back when he had sent some of his spirits to look into Yuya's past, but in no memory, was there another boy with the same face.

Judai and Johan came forth with a bit of unease, both seemingly exhausted from whatever they went through to bring the boy to him. They kept quiet about what has occurred throughout the time the spirits were healing the human child, but now nothing kept them back from telling him about what has occurred. Zarc set the two extra chairs to the bed, but only Johan sat down as Judai wandered off to the balcony accompanied only by his loyal spirit Yubel. The Dragon King tried to call him to which the other Fusion ruler only shook his head.

"What happened?" Zarc asked Johan now that it was clear that the brunet general didn't want to talk.

"It's a rather long and complicated story." the blue haired general sighed facing his knees.

"Well, the child is out of danger now and it will take a while before he fully recovers, so why don't you share the story with me?" he said while discreetly watching over Judai who seemed as he was in a state of distress.

"I don't even know where to start…" Johan still wouldn't face his king, though Ruby climbed into his lap trying to cheer him up.

…

Soon after the generals of the four Spirit Kingdoms split up, Judai and Johan traveled towards the human world. As the one who had come up with a plan to help out Zarc, the brunet general felt a big amount of pressure as he still wasn't sure what they were supposed to do. Like Johan said it himself, they couldn't just magically give Zarc family, he wasn't even sure if that would really help him out. The two Fusion rulers aimlessly wandered through the forests of the human world they were in charge of. Similar to how they got different parts of kingdoms in the Spirit World to look over, the generals were also assigned to patrol specific parts of the human world. It was mostly the spirits who chose to not live in the Spirit World that reported if anything unusual was going on, though from time to time Judai and Johan paid a visit as well.

Yubel and Crystal Beasts remained hidden in a form of Judai's pendant and Johan's bracelet covered by rainbow gems. They also kept their faces under the hoods since they didn't want to draw too much attention due to their involvement in the war. Despite the majority of human establishments being in the form of small towns and villages, they still preferred to play it safe rather than being chased by angry people who hated spirits. The Fusion rulers traveled back and forth to find a way to heal Zarc's empty heart, but hours and soon days later they found nothing. Sooner or later they had to return back to their kingdom, having had to leave the task for some other time. Their domain came first after all and with their friends not capable of taking care of everything, they had to return.

In the following weeks, the Fusion Kingdom went through several changes, such as extending the kingdom, resolving some issues concerning the spirits moving in from the other kingdoms to theirs and cleaning up after the yearly floods, neither of the generals had time or energy to revisit human world. Johan saw Judai numerous times just staring over the balcony in their own castle by the sea, deep in thought with either Yubel or Winged Kuriboh by his side. Or better tell, Judai would be lying on the sea reefs, not caring if the water drenched his clothes. That was the place where he would go if he needed some kind of a resolve, but it was hardly believable if it really was or not. No one knew, not even Judai. Then he would stand up and head back to whatever royal matters he had to do. Those moments were short enough to not affect his role as the Fusion ruler but common enough for Johan to get worried about his friend.

More weeks has passed, both Judai and Johan having their hands full to the point they couldn't even come into a touch with other generals to see if they had more luck than them. This went on for a while, with only one of the Fusion rulers managing to briefly visit human world couple of times. But then, after months they finally took care of the troubling situations in their kingdom so they could continue on with their search.

This time they visited a more distant part of the human world. They rarely came across it in the past themselves as it was so far away from the big towns. From what they knew this part largely consisted of several small villages separated by endless woods and rivers. Communities there were short of people, though appeared to be well off, so what Judai was looking for should definitely be there right?

Or so he thought. The moment they arrived at one of those villages, they instantly backed off due to shocking scenery they were facing.

The village that they remembered as the one full of hard-working people and cheerful everyday life was anything but that. The streets that were once roamed by marketers and kids who played by the river were nowhere in sight. Instead of that, there were crumbling houses, weeds growing on the fields and small wild animals wandering through what appeared to be now a ghost town.

"But it looked just fine the last time we were here! What could've happened?" Judai couldn't believe his eyes.

"It's been three years. A lot can happen in three years." Johan picked a discarded book, pages yellow and half-eaten by rats.

"Yeah… but this?" the brunet general found a stuffed animal with missing limbs "I can remember all the people being there and suddenly here's a wasteland."

"Villages change, people move out, natural disasters and wars can easily wipe out even the entire towns." the blue haired general looked around "Though it's kind of strange that it looks as people simply vanished."

The duo went through the village, somehow crossing the river with a missing bridge and finding themselves in a forest. They decided to walk to the nearest village which might've taken more time than asking their spirit partners to carry them there, but after the latest trip to the human world when some people had recognized Johan as "the brainwashed traitor", they rather traveled on foot. With no visible spirits by their sides and faces covered they were hardly recognizable, so no bystanders could even think they were anything other than two young travelers. For a while they just walked in silence with Judai just going straight ahead towards what he hoped it was his goal and Johan not far behind, worried for his friend's sanity. True the brunet general wanted to help out the people who were hurt since no one was there for him when he himself was in pain, but the lengths he would go were sometimes worrisome. The blue haired general just hoped they won't get in trouble this time.

 _"Hold still."_ voice coming from Judai's pendant called _"I can sense something near."_

 _"What is it Yubel?"_ the Fusion ruler asked back through their mind link.

 _"I don't know, but it could be dangerous. Keep your eyes open."_ the spirit replied, pointing towards the part of the forest where trees were growing particularly dense.

Knowing the fellow ruler's gestures by now, Johan carefully looked around knowing they weren't alone. Though with the village in ruins and other populated areas miles and miles away, who could possibly be there? And considered dangerous by the spirit whose sole appearance was demonic? The duo could now feel the presence that Yubel mentioned, having trouble classifying it as it was something they couldn't understand themselves. In a way, it felt like a normal human being, but it had a sinister coating, such as the one felt among spirits capable of using dark magic. The gut instinct told them to not bother, but like always Judai had other ideas. Going directly where his protective spirit told him not to go, the brunet general found his way through the bushes and branches, feeling the mysterious presence closer and closer. Even Winged Kuriboh got curious enough to leave the safety of Judai's pendant as well as Ruby who was not far behind.

The little spirits managed to outrace them, finding their way right where the presence was felt the strongest. Though what they found wasn't what they expected. Instead of a spirit living in a human world, a mage or even a human with a spirit partner, someone much younger and smaller was there.

Leaning against the thick tree was a boy with pink and purple hair, not looking older than ten. Ruby cautiously approached the boy, his tail with a gem and long ears caressing the boy's face. The immovable limbs and slow breathing gave an impression that the boy was asleep, but once Winged Kuriboh's little arm touched him, the boy backed off, fully awake and ready to fight them off. The two little spirits got the chills when they saw a child, human child for that fact, looking scarier than Amethyst Cat whenever she was about to gnaw someone.

"Ruby! Winged Kuriboh!" the generals shouted at once, worried for their spirit partners.

The little spirits expected the purple haired boy to go after the Fusion rulers, but once he saw them coming, the boy quickly took off away from approaching strangers. Judai noticed the kid, surprised that Yubel considered him dangerous, but the very same gut instinct that always got him into trouble told him otherwise. Not only was the boy fairly young, his clothes looked as they were in a bad condition and by now he realized that the kid was hardly running - if he was running in the first place. Up close it looked more like fast limping, hinting out that something was wrong with his legs.

"Wait up! We won't hurt you!" Judai called, his voice echoing through the forest.

"Nice trick, but it won't work! You assholes really think I'm that stupid?" the boy surprisingly shouted back.

Neither of the generals expected the kid to reply back in such a manner, causing them to nearly stop in their tracks from the surprise. The boy however kept on running despite the obvious injury. Johan could tell that the kid was carrying himself quite highly like someone in their teens would, but the way he looked at them when he had seen them for the first time was way different. When Fusion rulers faced the child, his violet eyes under the narrowed eyebrows grew wide. They could feel so many intense emotions coming from him, vigilance, fear, and so much anger. Judai was not able to recall ever feeling the amount of rage that the little kid was producing and he was carrying the soul of the raging Supreme King in himself.

The generals were dumbfounded by the state the child was in, his face beaten up and clothing falling apart. And yet he was still running away, avoiding them like a fire in rain. The brunet ruler eventually managed to approach the kid and take a hold of his arm, long minutes after the chase begun. The purple haired boy weakly tried to get out of his grip, kicking, punching and even biting Judai to let him go.

"Let me go you jerk!" the boy yelled, pulling away with less and less strength each time.

"No, you're hurt. I want to help you out." Judai didn't even flinch when the kid planted his teeth into general's other arm to the point of bleeding "Please, just let me take a look at your injuries, someone really got you bad."

"That's what you all say!" the boy hissed like an angry cat "And backstab when the chance is right!"

The kid continued to try wriggling out of Judai's hold when Johan approached him as well with Ruby on his shoulder. The blue haired general was about to get some more sense into him when the boy's eyes suddenly landed on the certain cat spirit. The people would usually scream and throw things at spirits since those beings were well hated and considered dangerous in their minds. But the kid did none of these things. He simply observed Ruby's sparkling eyes and its equally glimmering gem on the tail, no longer struggling.

"This… those spirits were… with you?" the boy watched puzzled, even more surprised when Ruby floated right next to his face where it playfully brushed its whiskers against boy's cheeks. The kid blinked in surprise, though he let the spirit touch him unlike he let the Fusion rulers.

"Yes, they are our really good friends." Johan smiled when the little spirit got back on his shoulder "And Ruby seems to like you too."

"Are you lost? Did something happen to you?" Judai carefully continued, still holding the boy's arm.

"It's none of your business." the boy snarled, being back to his rebellious behavior.

"But you're injured and even if we let you go, you wouldn't make it far limping like that." Johan crunched down to the kid's level "We're on your side."

"I told you it's none of your…" the boy said when all of a sudden a gunshot interrupted him before he could finish "Damm they're here."

Without another word, the kid somehow managed to free himself out of Judai's hold and raced towards the opposite direction from where the shots were coming from. The kid, however, didn't make it far before an awkward movement from his limping legs caused him to trip over a root and landing him into the nearby thorny bush. The generals quickly got to him and as Judai was helping him up, more gunshots accompanied by the men voices were heard coming closer.

"Are you alright?" Judai quickly got to the boy who miraculously got up, now with an addition of scratches all over his arms that he threw in front of himself to shield his face from the sharp thorns.

"I have to get away… before they come to get me…" the boy whispered, ready to break into a run, but too weak to make more than a few steps.

 _"Judai! There's at least five armed men coming in our direction, we have to get away!"_ the brunet general heard his spirit partner's voice.

By now the two Fusion rulers could point out the chasers in the distance, each carrying a shotgun.

"I thought I had more time… damm it!" the kid cursed when he fell for the second time.

"There he is!" the men, who looked like hunters, shouted, their weapons ready to shoot "Kill the spawn of a spirit witch!"

"They must be after the kid…" Johan thought out loud when constructing a plan "I can distract them, you go on ahead."

"Got it!" Judai grabbed the boy before he could protest and rushed into the direction Yubel led him to inside of his mind.

Johan so stayed behind, Ruby hiding in his hood since he wasn't that good at fighting as the men came closer and closer. From the looks of it, they were indeed hunters, armed to the bone with hunting tools, except they weren't hunting for deer. No, their target was most definitely the boy that Judai took to safety.

"Step aside punk, you're blocking our way." the man on the head of the group shouted, threateningly pointing his gun towards him.

"Unless you wish to share that demon's fate, that is." another hunter joined, as equally threateningly aiming his crossbow.

"May I ask why you are after the boy?" Johan said in a polite manner while secretly mingling with his rainbow bracelet "Last time I checked you're aren't supposed to be hunting children."

"Heh, the brat is a sneaky fox alright. We have our reasons." a hunter in the back chuckled, though turned serious once earning a stern look from his supposed leader.

"Don't let the child's face trick you, the little punk is an embodiment of pure evil in disguise." the headman loaded the gun "So get away before I shoot you like that spawn of spirits."

"I think you're overreacting a bit. You see… the child is no way associated with spirits…" the blue haired general touched two gems on his bracelet "… while I am."

The hunters watched wide-eyed how two different colored clouds of smoke emerged from the mysterious traveler's hand. The lilac smoke revealed a spirit resembling a mountain lion as the white tiger jumped from the yellow one. Both big cats snarled at the shocked men who hardly held their weapons still. It only took Johan a snap of his fingers for his two loyal spirits to charge at the group that had acted like a bunch of tough hot shots just a few seconds ago. They tried to fight them off, shooting at them, but Amethyst Cat simply dodged the shots while Topaz Tiger used his shards to deflect them. Any stray bullets and arrows that found the way to Johan were stopped by the invisible shield that he conjured by his own magic and the little of it that he borrowed from Ruby. The blue haired general didn't aim to kill them, only to scare off, so they would leave the injured child alone. Their stubbornness was however really troubling, enough for Johan to summon another spirit.

"This may take a while…" he sighed as he touched another gem on his bracelet.

In the meanwhile, Judai managed to find a hiding place that Yubel told him about. It was a small, falling-apart shack located near that ghost town, though it still had enough roof and solid walls to keep them safe. The Fusion ruler put the now silent boy on what appeared to be a bed in pieces, but still covered by blankets in sufficient state. The whole way there, the purple haired kid didn't attempt to talk with Judai. Of course, he protested a bit soon after the stranger picked him up so suddenly, but he grew quiet once he realized that the brunet guy truly wanted to help him up and also had spirits on his side. As the general quickly checked for any injuries, the boy kept his mouth shut though he curiously observed the demonic looking spirit watching the doors and playful furry creature on the stranger's shoulder.

"Can you really talk with the spirits?" the boy finally asked after a while.

"Yup, though some of them are more talkative than me if I'm honest." Judai smiled as he secured the kid's ankle that appeared to be sprained if not broken "Do you speak with spirits too?"

"Sometimes… if I find them." he said quietly.

"I see…" the general found a great opportunity to open up a conversation "What kinds of spirits live here? They are really rarely found these days."

"Plant spirits… they can hide well." the kid muttered.

"I think Winged Kuriboh actually sensed few of them while we were walking around here." Judai gently pressed on certain parts of the boy's chest, which made the boy wince "You have fractured, maybe even broken ribs… And your face... I doubt you can see properly with all this bruising around eyes... what were you doing to get such injuries?"

"Those guys beat a crap out of me." he stated simply, looking away.

The reply angered Judai big time, though he remained cool and collected about it as he tore the blankets to make bandages to temporarily secure the kid's ribcage until he would get a proper treatment at least. Thinking about that, what was he supposed to do once Johan comes back? True their spirits were able to track each other, but with those guys after the kid where were they supposed to go? And how come the kid knew about the spirits? From what he knew it was a common knowledge around people to see spirits and people associated with them as threats, teaching children from the young age to avoid anything spirit related. But this kid obviously preferred the company of the spirits rather than humans. Judai could remember how the boy's behavior towards them gradually changed as soon as they told him they're friends with spirits. And the fact that he would apparently converse with those few spirits in the woods when it was practically a miracle to find them in the first place was indeed interesting. Was that why those men beat him up and were ready to finish him up? Just because he shared a connection with spirits living in the human world?

"What are you doing here? No one comes here anymore." the boy asked, nudging towards the window from where the bits of the ghost town was seen.

"We were just… searching for something." Judai really didn't know how to explain it differently "What about you?"

"I didn't really have a choice where to go with those idiots on my tail." the boy winced when trying to stand up, "I thought they might've stopped chasing me if they would see the town."

"Why would they? Just three years ago it was perfectly normal."

"You really don't know, do you?" his eyebrows went up in an are-you-kidding-me manner "All town's people perished from an unknown disease. It is still possible to get infected if you get too close to it."

"Wouldn't you get infected too then?"

"Me?" the boy surprisingly smirked, "I'm immune to it."

"How can you tell?"

"Well…" the boy didn't appear to be too sure if he should share personal information like that, but he quickly came to realize it didn't really matter. Just when he was about to tell it, Yubel's wings spread and raised her hand towards the doors. Judai protectively set himself in front of the boy as well as Winged Kuriboh did despite knowing he wasn't much of a use if the battle was to occur. But once he felt the familiar aura, the furry creature floated forward, greeting the small gem creature. Almost as soon as Ruby appeared so did Johan looking like he was catching a breath and the sound of fluttering wings in the nearing suggested his bird spirit was out.

"How's the kid?" the blue-haired general asked once he breathed normally and Cobalt Eagle was back in his bracelet "Hopefully I scared those guys off enough."

"You didn't kill them, did you?" Judai asked worriedly.

"Topaz Tiger might've taken a few deeper bites and Amethyst Cat did a number with her claws on them, but I'm certain they are all still alive, just horrified. Cobalt Eagle surely scared them with his appearance."

"They deserve to die."

Both Fusion Rulers slowly turned their heads towards the purple haired boy, just to make sure he really was the one who said it. They could just mishear it, right? No, the kid's face was full of seriousness and his narrowed down eyes were glaring at Johan like the general did something wrong. The boy's fists were clenched and his face was practically burning from anger.

"I agree it wasn't right that those guys beat you up, but they not in any way deserve a punishment as terrible as death." Judai carefully started when boy suddenly started laughing menacingly.

The generals grew uncomfortable while Yubel observed the boy carefully, feeling the dark aura she sensed before. But despite the danger, Judai crunched down to the kid's level, his eyes also serious even though the boy was still laughing like a lunatic.

"Look, I get it, you're angry for what they did to you, but you can't just…"

"You do know nothing! That's so innocently cute!"

"Look just calm down…"

"I rather see them burn in hell!"

The sound of hand meeting skin suddenly echoed through the cabin. Johan watched dumbfounded how the boy's already bruised cheek earned another mark, nearly as much the boy did. He certainly didn't expect the general to hit him, no slap him in a way only someone else would whenever he did something stupid. Though what he found even more surprising was that the brunet man had tears running down his cheeks while his eyes seemed to switch from brown to bright yellow. The change stunned the kid enough to stop laughing and he reached for the hit spot like asking what that was for.

"Never…" Judai whispered, taking a hold of the boy's hand "Never wish for death upon someone…"

"Easy for you to say." he muttered, though the general still wouldn't let go.

"It sticks with you forever… either a wish or action itself. Once it's done there's no coming back. Believe me… I learned it the hard way."

"Judai…" Johan approached his friend cautiously, fearing for the worst "Don't overreact because of the kid, the Supreme King might…"

"I'm not the kid, the name's Yuri." the boy said before the general could finish.

The blue haired general got Judai to finally release the boy and once he did, he wiped his tears and tried to bring his usual expression back which was very hard. He was mad, so mad at those men for making Yuri wishing them death. No child under the age of ten should hate others that much nor should adults damage young ones to this point. Judai had so many questions under his mind, about what kind of things happened to this boy to turn out like this. Luckily Johan took over since he was more collected about it.

"Yuri is a nice name." the other Fusion Ruler smiled "My name is Johan and my friend there is Judai. I already introduced you to Ruby, whom I think likes you quite a lot, and this little guy is Winged Kuriboh."

"What about that one?" Yuri nudged towards Yubel whose eyes were set on the watch.

"That's Yubel, she's on guard right now so try not to distract her."

"She wouldn't need to if you just killed off those guys." the boy said emotionlessly.

"Just what's with you and wanting those hunters dead?" Judai said angrily just when he finally calmed down.

"You wouldn't understand." he blurted and tried to move away though he was stopped by Ruby who jumped into his lap, letting out meowing sounds like telling him to stay.

"Try us then, we might not look like it, but we had lived through quite a lot so far." Johan's expression was the one that got serious this time.

Yuri didn't seem that convinced about it, though with constant nagging from Ruby who would pull at his sleeves, the boy sighed knowing there was no more chance of avoiding it. Just before he started talking, he felt something slipping off his neck. He knew the string barely held it on, especially after the chase and now it finally snapped, the object bound to it pulling it down. It was old, but it still resembled a flower shaped pendant. Yuri was about to pick it up once it hit the ground, but Judai who was closer was faster. The boy was about to shout to give it back when he saw the brunet general staring at it and cradling it like it was about to break.

"That's… that belongs to…" he quietly mumbled a name, his hands shaking as he was holding onto the pendant "Where did you get this?"

"It was a gift…" now Yuri was the one who was talking quietly, still wide-eyes from surprise when seeing Judai's shocked face "It's all I have left…"

"You used to live in that town, didn't you?" Johan said, Yuri giving it a slight nod "I thought so."

"What really happened there?" Judai finally asked, the boy taking a deep breath to begin.

"I may as well tell you." Yuri said in very mature manner.

…

For as long as he could remember, Yuri knew he had no part in this world. He barely remembered who his parents were since there were so many people in that tiny wooden building, overcrowding the place and fighting over for living necessities. He remembered going to sleep hungry, fighting for an itchy blanket or just being left in the corner and being ignored for the rest of the day. Yuri never saw the faces, only silhouettes of people with voices that yelled that he was better off dead.

Then one day he was in the snowy forest, his feet bare and clothes barely covering him up. There was no one in sight but the icy ground and chilling wind of the winter night that was slowly devouring him. That night he thought that was it, his meaningless life finally ending as the result of malnutrition and hypothermia. He could see his fingers turning blue, so frozen he was numb to all the pain and cold itself.

 _"Just let me die already…"_

He didn't fear death, in fact, he welcomed it. Death was an escape from this world that didn't want him. The dark was his sanctuary and what would he had given to hide behind it forever.

However, fate - cruel or merciful, literally took him in its arms and brought him back to life. There weren't many people out on that icy winter night, but a single lone traveler on a horse was hurrying home when they noticed him under the pile of falling snow. Without a second thought, those hands lifted his small body and placed him under a thick blanket, holding his frozen hands to keep them warm all the way to the nearest village. Yuri remembered slipping in and out of consciousness for what felt like months and for the number of times he asked himself what he did to deserve such torture.

 _Don't wish me to die and bring me back… I can't take it anymore."_

It was when snow began to melt when Yuri finally woke up fully. Finding himself in a modest, but cozy house made him question if he actually died that night and he finally made it into the heaven. There was even a person he thought to be an angel approaching him. He didn't recognize the face, though it didn't really matter since he knew whose hands these were the moment they touched him. His secret rescuer didn't only bring him out of the freezing forest; like a true knight the person took him to a warm place and nursed him back to health.

"Hello little one, my name is Asuka. What is your name?" the person spoke, proving to be a woman in early twenties with long blond hair.

"I don't know…" was all that his limited vocabulary allowed him to say.

"I'll give you a name then. Everyone deserves a nice name." Asuka smiled which made him confused since he didn't know what a smile meant. He only knew the hate, sorrow, and malice as those were the only emotions his family or whoever took care of him until now were expressing.

…

"Why Yuri?" Johan asked out of curiosity.

"Once the snow melted we planted some saplings of various flowers in her garden. There were many pretty flowers blooming as soon as it got warmer, but one kind didn't bloom until the summer. I kept asking what kind of a flower that one would be and Asuka said that if I'll like the flower she'll name me after it." Yuri talked in very mature manner, though he hardly made any eye contact with the generals.

"Was it a lily?" Judai muttered, his eyes still pointed into the flower pendant "She loved roses, but lilies weren't that far behind."

"I was named Yuri after that very same flower that bloomed in summer. For some reason I was always relaxed around lilies." the boy smiled slightly at the general's words "You really knew Asuka, didn't you?"

"I did… we were friends when we were little, but once I got involved with the war I haven't seen her ever again." Judai admitted, "Where is she now?"

Instead of replying, Yuri continued with his story.

…

In the first years living with Asuka, Yuri learned that she was the town's herbalist, providing people with medicine made of the healing plants she was collecting daily. Even that winter night when she stumbled upon dying Yuri she was returning from a trip to a distant place to collect a certain type of herbs. For a child with really vogue upbringing, it was pretty difficult for Yuri to get used to the new lifestyle or more like living in the first place. But with Asuka's help and his growing passion for everything related to plants, the boy eventually let the past behind him. He gladly assisted his caretaker with collecting the right plants and soon making medicine as well. Besides natural remedies, Asuka also prepared and traded spices and at times even poisons for various pests on the fields. The poisonous plants were actually the first ones besides lilies that sparked Yuri's interest in botany and herbalism since she needed to teach him which plants he shouldn't touch carelessly. Even if they were dangerous they were among the prettiest to look at.

By the time he was seven, he already mastered pretty much what had to be known about plants, surpassing even Asuka who admitted she needed at least five years to learn what he did in the only couple of years. The town's people were amazed by the smart child, thanking him politely whenever he delivered them medicine and besides the payment also added something little for him. Yuri might've been just a child, but for his age, he was really intelligent and mature and Asuka or town's people didn't fail to praise him for it. Other kids invited him to play with them many times, though, despite their kindness, Yuri rejected them each time. It wasn't that he didn't like their company; he just didn't know how to interact with them. He didn't know how to be a kid, he didn't know how to have fun except for discovering new plants and he didn't know how to play in the first place. Yuri questioned Asuka many times if not knowing those things were wrong and if he was different from other children because of that. Each time she would assure him that he just grew up faster than them, so he was more like adults than the kids and that's why he didn't know how to act his age. Other people also agreed with it as they talked to him in the same manner that they did with Asuka. In no way had either of them wanted him dead and with that Yuri knew the world is filled with wonderful people, not just horrible ones he had been stuck with during his early childhood.

But then when he had just turned eight, everything fell apart.

It started with a merchant that had just returned from overseas, bringing goods from distant lands, who became sick really fast. Asuka did everything she could to help him when treating his symptoms. She got so busy with a single patient that Yuri had to take care of everything else for more than a week. Despite all of her efforts, the man died after two weeks of suffering from a very puzzling illness that not even the oldest resident could name. The man was buried and Asuka went on making medicine, more determined than ever to help others.

But then other people began to show the very same symptoms as well. The number grew higher each day along with the number of dead residents. In a single month, the town lost a third of its population and it only increased with time. Many people fled the town in a state of panic, unknowingly spreading the disease to other nearby villages and towns. With so many weak and dying people left in the town, Asuka knew they had to leave as well. She had discovered that a handful of people were immune to mysterious disease, among whom was Yuri and herself, but they couldn't run the town that was emptier each day by themselves. Yuri hardly left the house and town that carried so many of nice memories, but knowing his hometown no longer had any future he helped Asuka pack those few things they had and went to look for a new home.

For weeks they searched for a village or town that wasn't wiped out by the illness or demolished by bandits until they finally found a new village. Asuka managed to get them an old shack and a modest job on the fields to support them and for a short while it seemed a new life was going well. Yuri could still explore the world of plants and make the medicines he always did.

But the villagers were the right opposite of what the residents of their hometown were. The whole reason why Asuka didn't get to continue her job as herbalist was because her knowledge was considered blasphemy. True they had their own doctor, but a strange woman who was turning plants into weird powders and potions, along with a child that wasn't even hers was enough for them to shun them from the community.

It started with mere name-calling, that the two of them managed to ignore. Then it came with the unfair trade when she was given less food she paid for. Yuri was made to attend lessons about some sort of religion that all the villagers were practically brainwashed with. They kept on repeating that there are creatures that used to serve them, but turned onto them and killed everyone in sight during the war times. Those _spirits_ and people associated with them were the cause of everything bad in this world. At first, Yuri took it as a joke, laughing it off among the other kids while working in the fields. Kids didn't take it lightly though. It wasn't only the lessons that taught them that ideology, but parents as well. Yuri got beat up terribly by kids and adults alike if he only said anything about the supposed religion or looked smarter than others.

And not only him, even Asuka would get nasty glares and more difficult tasks to do because of him. Seeing how his actions affected her, he decided to rather avoid other villagers as best as he could so at least Asuka wouldn't get the same treatment. Yuri would leave early in the morning, walking beyond the village's woods and returned in the evening for dinner. That way the kids or adults would leave him alone since very few of them except for the hunters dared to leave the village, convinced that spirits ventured outside. For that, they actually weren't wrong. After the weeks of exploring the new lands, Yuri got to meet the plant spirits for the very first time.

At first, he thought he was staring at unknown flowers when out of sudden they began to move. He thought those could be carnivorous plants he read about, though once he noticed the eyes, leaves shaped like mouths and stems like body limbs, he knew they were something else. Yuri remembered the rigmaroles of lessons he was forced to take, fully prepared to defend himself if the creatures would attack. But that's not what happened. The plant spirit merely examined him out of curiosity, sniffing and touching his body. Yuri was puzzled but went along with it.

Over the time he got to meet other plant spirits too, each more unique than the other. Each let him study them and at times they even guided him to undisclosed places where more unknown plants were growing. Asuka let him go exploring on condition to always come back home before the sun sets and to not pick a fight with any of the kids or adults in the village. She was glad at least Yuri didn't have to deal with villagers' threads that gradually grew worse on the two of them. With the winter coming, it was more dangerous to be outside for too long so Yuri had to shorten his trips to see the spirits and that meant more interactions with people. Villagers didn't attempt to cover their disgust each time they saw him, hardly ever called him after his own name and overly treated him like he wasn't supposed to exist.

Yuri felt the familiar hurt all over, trying to overcome it by visiting the spirits and being with Asuka. But the autumn progressed into the winter, colder were the hearts of the villagers. By the time it was spring and then summer again, Yuri tried hard to ignore the invisible knives of harsh words that people kept throwing at him. He kept the neutral expression on at all times, even when he was beaten up for a ridicules things he did that made him look evil in other's eyes. He tried to convince Asuka many times to move somewhere else, anywhere just to get away from these people. As much as she wanted it herself, they really couldn't leave just yet. Their supplies were scarce, winter was approaching again and most of all they didn't know where to go. From what they knew for miles and miles there wasn't a functioning town or a village, only ruins. True Asuka spent some weeks living in a simple shed in the middle of the forest, but with Yuri and tools to start a new life it was unlikely to happen. They could try going further or even reaching the port where they would travel through seas to go to entirely new lands. But for that, they needed money and food.

Yuri so, even though he hated it, also started working. The only job they allowed him to do was weaving since he could be isolated from others as much as possible and wasn't required to talk. An old lady that supervised him despised him too, though not as much as others and didn't hide the fact that she through-fully washed the fabrics he weaved nearly dozens of times. Yuri worked hard, sometimes skipping the whole weeks of not going to see the spirits so he could make more money for Asuka. His fingers became numb due to the sharpness of flax and at times would even bleed without him knowing due to being abstracted into his work.

Another winter came and Yuri turned ten. Asuka finally collected enough for the two of them to prepare to leave for the better home. They had enough supplies to last them for the entire journey and the only thing they needed to do now was to wait for the spring. However, that was easier said than done. The emotional abuse from the villagers became worse, Yuri having trouble keeping it down and at times he would nearly snap and attack whoever was near him. Asuka did her best to comfort him each day, promising they will leave soon. He kept that in mind at all times, though he wasn't far from a breakdown.

But just when the time for them to leave came, someone framed them for something they didn't do. One of the farmers, specifically known for his almost insane following of the spirit-hating religion, returned to the village covered by numerous bites after his trip to traveling merchants. Of course, he went on blaming the spirits before they even started treating him, so Asuka quickly prepared their things so they could leave earlier than they planned. Something about it just didn't click with her. Carrying two big backpacks they tried to sneak out of the village before anyone could notice, but unfortunately, the angry villagers waited for them in front of their own doorstep.

Both Asuka and Yuri were tied up and brought to the house that served as the main hall, the farmer, now patched up, sat on the fancy chair like a king, looking down on them like they were less than insects.

"The brat did this me, he has to pay!" he barked at Asuka who tried hard to get the ropes off herself.

"No, Yuri would never do anything like this! He didn't leave the village at all while you were on the trip!" she attempted to shield Yuri, but was pulled away from him.

"Him maybe not, but he's keeping company with spirits! He made those _monsters_ attack me!" the farmer yelled, villagers gasping at the information.

"That's true! I saw him talking with those spawns of evil!"

"He was always collecting some magical plants, I bet he controls them with it!"

"He's a demon!"

"He shouldn't exist!"

The shouts of villagers were getting louder, making Yuri's ears hurt to the point he thought they would start bleeding. It was happening again, he was an abomination, someone who would be better off dead. He hardly kept back his tears, the years of emotional abuse finally brought him to his knees making him looked pathetic and vulnerable, an exact opposite of what he really was. Yuri didn't even realize he was punched in his face several times just to get a reaction from him.

"Please, he's innocent! If you want him to leave, we'll leave! We were going to anyway!" Asuka begged, her proud persona completely shredded for the sake of the child she cared about.

"What a convenient time for you to leave, so you could get away without punishment, huh?" a strong looking villager grabbed Yuri by his hair, making him cry out "You can leave freely… witch. But the brat has to be punished for his sins."

"No, please, don't hurt him!" Asuka screamed when she saw them grab a sword "We will leave immediately, we'll never set a foot in your village ever again! We will disappear!"

"Nice try, but no. Demons shouldn't walk among humankind." the man laughed it off when lifting Yuri like he was a hunting trophy as another man sharpened the sword.

Yuri's limp body was so overwhelmed with everything that he hardly knew what was going on. His eyes stared blankly at the sharp tool that was slowly approaching his chest. That seemed to be it, the little life he got to enjoy was to be stolen again from him. Asuka didn't keep her promise to get them to the better home, but he didn't blame her. Life was cruel and unpredictable, always torturing him with the idea of death and now it was coming for him in a form of the sword. Yuri could see it about to slash at his throat, closing his eyes as the means to accept his faith. He could already feel the blood dripping down his body like a warm torrent…

… but it didn't hurt nor was the blood his. Once he opened his eyes he was met with Asuka, her hands somehow free and blocking the sword inches away from his throat. She smiled as she touched his cheek with a blood-stained hand, whispering him the last few words she could.

 _"Cut the ropes with the sword… and run… run Yuri… to the river…"_

The man pulled the sword out of her still body, cursing over her for the sword not reaching the boy. Asuka's body fell on the ground, her white dress turning red from the blood oozing from her. For a few seconds Yuri just stared… stared at the person, who helped him see the light in this dark world, not moving, at eyes that won't ever open and the growing red puddle under her. They took her, stole the one good thing that happened in his life. His emotions were about to explode from the inside after holding back for so long. But he remembered her words that practically burnt into his mind and knew he had to get away, for her sake at least. So fast that no one could react in time, Yuri swung his bound hands at the sharp edge of the bloodied sword. The ropes were cut and before anyone could grab him he raced towards the river.

Despite the springtime, the river was still ice cold and dangerously torrential, but it was his only means to escape. Taking a deep breath and one last look towards the body of his savior, Yuri jumped into the river.

…

"That can't be…" Judai had his hands covering his mouth as the tears bubbled at the edges of his eyes "Asuka can't be really…"

"She's gone." Yuri said emotionlessly "Believe me, I looked closely."

"Dammit…" the brunet general punched the ground out of anguish. Johan tried to calm him down, though Judai walked to Yubel, clearly wanting to be left alone for a while. While the blue-haired general met Asuka only a few times, the other general practically grew up with her and her loss must've hit him pretty hard. As much as Johan wanted to comfort his friend he knew they couldn't just stop at Yuri's story.

"So after you somehow survived the ordeal with the river, you hid in the woods since the villagers were after you?" he asked, Yuri surprisingly shook his head.

"It's more complicated than this."

…

Yuri awoke at the edge of the river, covered by slimy but warm leaves he thought were watercress. With a surprised gasp, he was almost shocked to see the plant spirits using their roots, ivies, and petals to warm him up while few others were on the guard. It's been a while since his last visit, but somehow they remembered him and protected him from the cold.

While he was grateful for their help, he couldn't shake the feeling of being lost, not only in general but lost in his path of life. Asuka was gone and so did his purpose. He was all alone again in the world that hated him, having no idea what to do. Part of him wished he would just die to finally end the continuous pain in his heart while another part was hungry, no starving for revenge. The villagers robbed him of the anchor that kept him still in the torrent of darkness and for that, they had to pay. They needed to be punished, they needed to be stabbed like she was, they had to rot in hell!

The spirits noticed his growing glare towards the direction of the village, feeling his escaping emotions. The boy was enraged, his nails drawing blood in his clenched fists as he began to form a plan in his mind. The spirits felt it too, his uncontrollable anger and starving… starving for venom. He desired it so much, not knowing if he wanted it for himself or the villagers.

With the spirits' help, he quickly found the herbs he needed, grinding and mixing them until he got the right mixture. As the night fell he managed to get back to the village, with no one in sight. He knew well that a patrolman will appear with a lantern every hour, but he really needed only a little more than a minute to do what he needed. As quietly as humanly possible, he sneaked towards the well and quickly rubbed the powdered herbs into the bucket used for getting water. Once he was done, he silently rushed back to the river and crossed it with the help of the spirits' long ivies. Now he only had to wait.

Well hidden behind the treetops across the river, he had the perfect view at the village's center. He wouldn't miss it for anything on this world. Even though he hardly kept himself quiet when he noticed Asuka's body being displayed at their shack like a reminder of what happens to the sinners, Yuri turned to the gathered crowd of villagers, obviously happy that they got rid of the pests. The very same farmer who accused him of an assault brought the sack of yellowed papers that served as the holy book during their morning ceremonies. Yuri hated those with passion since people would make him get up really early, listen to the nonsenses and then drink the holy water at once. Ceremony supposedly blessed the water and drinking it would make them safe from the evil spirits.

But not today. As everyone drank what they thought was a holy water, Yuri could nearly feel the power of venom that plowed into their bloodstreams. At first, it appeared to have no effect, but then almost simultaneously everyone started coughing, choking on their own fluids. Yuri watched not out of pleasure, although he found it quite satisfying, but to properly say goodbye to Asuka. Choking screams of villagers were heard for long minutes, suffering a great pain before they could no longer breathe. The mass on the village's center looked like a pile of bodies, the ones from his hometown when people were dying from plague fast. Now he was their venom, a child of a witch who brought on a disaster upon their village just like they said he will.

…

Johan was entirely speechless now, the news of Judai's friend death were hard enough as they were. But this? A ten-year-old child killing an entire village? What was this world coming to? Yuri clearly held no remorse for his actions, it was his justice he believed in and the only thing he could do. Everything he ever loved was taken from him, even his own existence wasn't allowed in this world. Yuri simply didn't know what else to do, he lost his only guide and was driven by revenge. Johan clearly knew that Yuri had no right to kill those people, especially after Judai's speech, but going through such an ordeal and as a child for that fact… Johan couldn't blame him for real.

"I really am a demon, aren't I?" Yuri chuckled nervously "I always was, I just kept it down."

"What happened next?" Johan changed the topic.

"I returned to the house, took few things and ran away. I couldn't stay there any longer once I saw them up close I realized I miscalculated."

"Miscalculated what?"

"Village's hunters weren't among the bodies. I forgot they were on a hunting trip and I knew they would instantly know it was me. I tried to outrun them, but I hurt my leg so they caught up with me."

"The men that were chasing you, right?"

"If you'd kill them, you would do me a big favor. But you probably won't do it right? You're too good for it…"

"That's not true!" Judai got back to Yuri "We aren't as good as you may think. We killed people too, lots of them for that fact…"

"Congratulations, you really aren't angels."

"Judai…" Johan tried to take a hold of him "Leave it, this is not about you."

"You're right it really isn't about you…"

The whole shack turned silent, even Ruby and Winged Kuriboh had nothing to say. It seemed as Judai had something more to say when out of sudden the whole house was filled with the noises of gunshots. The brunet general threw himself on Yuri to shield him from the bullets and arrows as Yubel and Johan fought back, but not before two bullets find their way into Yuri's shoulder.

Then Judai's eyes began to glow yellow.

…

"And then we came to your palace. We didn't know where else to go in such a short notice." Johan finished with the story.

"I see… the poor child really got it hard." Zarc gently caressed Yuri's hair "Ignored, abused and beaten… though I don't recall you telling me when he was poisoned?"

"He did it himself." the blue-haired general kept his face down, Ruby being his only comfort "It turned out that he had another package of poison hidden in his pocket so he could commit suicide before hunters could kill him. He ate it when we weren't looking, just before the hunters appeared."

"Or maybe he indeed regretted the massacre of the village to the point he believed he deserved the same punishment." Zarc sighed, looking at Judai who was still on the balcony lost in thought "How's he holding?"

"I'm not sure… while he was protecting Yuri, I could feel the power of the Supreme King trying to break free. Yubel hardly helped him control it."

"He's grown much stronger, Johan. Your friend is carrying a dark spirit in himself, but he has a control over it now and it's thanks to you he knows how."

"You showed him the way to me though." Johan smiled when Xiangke Magician stopped using his magic on the child.

"I've cleared the poison in his system, he should be healed up by tomorrow." the spirit said, the general and Dragon King dismissing him along with the Timegazer Magician while Xiangsheng remained in the room.

By now Judai came back, asking about Yuri's condition and only when Zarc assured him the kid will be alright did the brunet general got back to his semi-cheerful self. Knowing the human general that hosted a dark spirit, the Dragon King half-way assumed why they brought Yuri to him first instead to the Fusion Kingdom.

"Well now that you're settled in, why don't we discuss some things over a cup of tea? Healing Ward isn't really a right place for it and Xiangsheng will gladly look after the boy." Zarc already opened the doors.

"Things?" Judai blinked in confusion when something small ran to the Dragon King.

"Haoryuu!" Yuya chirped happily when Zarc picked him up and cradled him in his arms.

"About a lot of things if I'm honest and yes one of those is how similar Yuri looks to Yuya."

"Yuya?" the Fusion rulers asked in unison, surprised at the unlikely sight.

…

The generals and Zarc took seats at the palace's terrace with a nice view of the plains and a nearby town. Some fairy spirits brought them a steaming pot of tea and snacks, which the generals took politely, making those few sips to taste the rich flavor of herb mixture. Yuya was on the grass field nearby, chasing Winged Kuriboh and Ruby who gladly played with a cheerful child.

"So Yuya was brought by Yugi and Atem a few months ago?" Judai started, still puzzled at the children's resemblances.

"And he too suffered at the hands of humans? Just because his eyes were differently colored?" Johan added when watching Yuya pick colorful flowers.

"I'm afraid so. The two of them had indeed a really rough time." Zarc poured himself more tea "I checked for every clue of where might Yuya's origins lay, but so far I found nothing. The poor child had been passed around so regularly that any information about him was lost."

"Do you think the two of them are related? No offense, but when I saw Yuya running to you I thought he was Yuri. Their faces are identical." Judai asked, fiddling with his cup of tea.

"It could be possible, considering both of them don't remember their parents." Johan thought when connecting their stories.

"Well related or not, they are here now. Yuya still has nightmares and sometimes gets panic attacks, but compared to the first few weeks he has made a good progress at his recovery. Yuri on the other hand…" Zarc said when Judai interrupted me in the middle of the speech.

"Please take Yuri in!" the brunet general bowed to his king, surprising everyone in sight "He needs you."

"Judai…" the Dragon King's eyes widened even though he was going to suggest the same thing sooner or later.

"Yuri's mind is really troubled right now and he needs someone who will help him to get out of the darkness. You did the same thing for me, so please take care of Yuri, so Asuka's death won't be in vain!" Judai said so loud that it even drew attention from Yuya who stopped playing.

Zarc nodded, nudging to the Fusion ruler to sit back since he understood his request clearly. The generals let out a sigh of relief knowing their king will help the child that they failed to do so. Even if they took Yuri in, their ideologies clashed way too aggressively and they doubted the boy's thinking would change that much. Zarc was way more neutral about everything, not to mention Yuri would have a company of someone his age. And also the Dragon King would have someone more to take care of and heal the void in his heart.

"Haoryuu?" Yuya pulled at Zarc's shirt.

"What is it Firefly?" the man looked down on the odd-eyed boy who held something behind his back.

"Is the boy who looks like me hurt? Is that why he is in the Healing Ward?" Yuya asked worriedly.

"Yeah, Yuri has been through some things and needs to rest." Zarc petted the boy's head.

"Is it okay if I go visit him? I even made him this to recover faster." Yuya showed a knitted flower crown that he has been hiding.

"Of course you can, just make sure to not bother him for too long. He's been through quite a lot."

"Okay!"

Yuya left terrace where Zarc and the generals continued to talk as Ruby and Winged Kuriboh followed him since his Haoryuu still didn't want him to go anywhere alone. The odd-eyed boy grew up emotionally, though at times he would still get in situations that would trigger him. Zarc and the spirits showed him that there are other things than the hurt, abuse, and hate on this world. And he wanted to do the same thing for Yuri, the boy who looked so much like him. He might've only seen him briefly, but deep in his heart, he felt the tingling feeling he only felt when the Dragon King broke down in front of him. A desperate call for comfort from someone he cared about. Did that mean Yuri was calling for him?

The odd-eyed boy rushed through the halls that he got to know in those months living here. Luckily even the shortcuts, so he reached the Healing Ward quite fast. He knocked quietly so he wouldn't wake Yuri up while still hiding the flower crown behind his back. Xiensheng Magician opened the door and after listening to Yuya's little request she gladly led him to the other sleeping boy. Yuri now had a majority of color returned back to his previously pale skin, his shoulder was properly bandaged and his sleep appeared to be peaceful enough. As Yuya climbed on the chair to reach the bed better he heard the female spirit saying she will just go gather some healing potions from Xiangke Magician for Yuri once he would wake up properly.

"Hi… Yuri." Yuya started to talk awkwardly "My name is Yuya."

Even though there was no response, he continued.

"Haoryuu and misters generals said that you were hurt. I brought you something to help you recover." Yuya put the flower crown on the bed "You just have to cast a spell."

 _"Pain, pain go away!"_

Yuya repeated it few times, each time clapping with his hands to make it more effective. There weren't any visible changes, but the boy felt the feeling inside him lessen, so he was satisfied with the visit. He playfully ruffled Yuri's hair before leaving, whispering he would like to know him better soon. Yuya was at the doors when the same feeling that loosened not that long ago became tight again, nearly making him gasp.

"Leaving so soon?" Yuya heard someone say, needing a while before realizing it came from the same room.

"Yuri?" the odd-eyed boy trembled a bit when he looked back, seeing the other boy very much awake, rubbing his eyes "I thought you were asleep."

"I always healed faster since.. ughh! Damm this hurts!" Yuri cursed when accidentally leaned on his shoulder too much.

"Easy or the magic won't work." Yuya clung to the flower crown.

"… you gotta be kidding me." the purple haired stared at the tangled flowers now that his vision was clear "Seriously how old are you? Or better tell, why the hell do you look like me? Where am I? Where are those two wanna-be vigilantes?"

"I… I don't know…" the odd-eyed boy blinked from confusion, unable to answer so many questions at once.

"That's just perfect… a weird eyed version of me is trying to heal me with flowers. If that's heaven I rather go to hell."

"Y… you we…re b… brought he… here by Ha… Haoryuu's ge… generals." Yuya suddenly began to stutter, something that he recently stopped doing "Th…they saved you."

"Tsk they really did…" Yuri sighed in annoyance "Even after I've given them any possible reason to leave me alone and let me die."

"B… but you sh…shouldn't want to die!" the odd-eyed boy said determined "You should be happy to be alive!"

"Do I look like a care? Look I doubt you'd understand, but I have my reasons."

"B.. but I thought we… we could be friends…" Yuya looked down, obviously heartbroken by Yuri's words.

"Isn't this cute, not only those guys dragged me here they even made an adorable little puppet to look like me." Yuri let out a manic laughter "Way to try sympathizing with me."

"I'm not a puppet!" Yuya winced, tears bubbling at the corners of his eyes "I just want to help you!"

"Nice try but no. It will take more than a weird-eyed fake to convince me." Yuri ignored the injures while trying to leave the bed.

"B…but I'm n…not a fake! I'm real!" Yuya tried to make him stay by holding onto him "I too was saved…"

"Let go dammit!" the purple haired had just about enough, clearly annoyed by the other boy.

"No, please just stay until Haoryuu comes! I'm sure he can help you…"

"I said let go, you _freak_!"

The sound of a slap echoed through the room, one child more shocked than the other. Yuri really didn't know why he did, he snapped in a way he never taught he would, just like Asuka taught him not to. But once he saw the face of a boy who looked so much like him, whose tears were running down and whose eyes were widened like he had just seen a ghost as he cradled the forming bruise on his paled cheek, he couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty. Yuri felt like he had just hit Asuka. He'd never do that to a person who cared for him for so long, but somehow he did and it hurt his already so damaged heart.

"I… I…" Yuri was dumbfounded, not sure what to do. Even if that kid was a supposed puppet made by those guys with spirits, he didn't mean any harm. He shouldn't react the way he did, but considering everything that happened in a span of couple of days, could you really blame him? His starvation for venom still made his heart beat uncontrollably, hardly holding back the pain that has been gathering inside him for so long like a time-ticking bomb about to explode.

His thoughts were suddenly broken by the loud and irregular breaths coming from the other boy. His tears stopped, but his skin turned paler as his body wouldn't stop shaking. Yuya became right the opposite of the innocently cheerful persona he was before, now mouthing unspoken words as his breathing became more and more rigid.

Yuri was about to ask him what was wrong when Yuya outright screamed and with hands covering his ears collapsed on the ground. His body was twisting like having a seizure, all while shouting indistinct sentences. Yuri was just about at loss of what was going on, wanting to help the kid out of instinct while he just wanted to get away at the same time. Luckily the doors of the Healing Ward opened with a silver haired man up front with a female spirit and the generals at his side. As much as Yuri feared they came to him because he obviously did something he shouldn't, he was surprised to see the man rushing to the odd-eyed kid on the ground.

"Firefly! Are you alright?" the man took the panic-stricken child in his arms.

"Plea…se d…don't hu…rt me." Yuya uttered, his eyes still wide and unfocused.

"You're not there anymore, you're with me! Listen to my voice Yuya!" Zarc repeated over and over while cradling the poor child in his embrace.

"D…don't…" the odd-eyed kid mumbled painfully since his chest hurt from violent breathes.

"I'm here Firefly, I'm here…" Zarc coed, pressing him against his chest until he felt the wild heartbeat calming down.

The Dragon King continued saying gentle words and caressing Yuya's back as everyone else just watched. The generals heard more about the Yuri's lookalike after Yuya left, knowing his backstory was anything but simple. When Zarc suddenly grew quiet and quickly headed to the Healing Ward, they knew something must've been up, though they didn't expect the odd-eyed kid to suffer a panic attack from just visiting Yuri.

By now Zarc managed to calm Yuya down, who was now unconsciously lying in his arms. Yuri's slap triggered the memories that he had managed to avoid for a while, so Yuya's panic attack was worse than the last one, tiring him down to the point of passing out. The Dragon King sighed as he gave Yuya to Xianghsheng, instructing her to get him to his room for a rest. The female spirit bowed as she disappeared with a boy, leaving Zarc, generals and Yuri alone.

"I think we need to talk." The Dragon King said to the still shocked boy who only gave a slight nod in agreement.

…

It was the late afternoon when Yuri and Zarc were sitting at the flower garden located at the back of the palace. Yuri's very first reaction was to just examine every leaf, petal and stem, taking in all that the garden had to offer. But he didn't feel like it at the moment. At least not after hearing about what Yuya had gone through. To be exposed to so much physical abuse while he got to least spend those few years in a hometown with loving people, Yuri hardly believed Yuya got to recover to being the cheerful child that wanted to help him out – him the person who was actually well-off for a while. But now he made him remember all the bad things that happened to him…

"What happened, happened Yuri. You can't change the past." Zarc said taking a flower "Once you pick the flower, you can't plant it back."

"I didn't mean to…" Yuri said quietly, eying the torn stem of a flower that Zarc held "It was just like when I began preparing the poison for villagers."

"You carry a lot of pain in your heart and you want it out. That's why you reacted so violently to the people whom you didn't know wanted to help you out. You thought you'd only get hurt by them all over, just like villagers hurt you." the Dragon King put a supporting hand on the boy' shoulder.

"I… I just don't know what to do anymore…" Yuri hugged his knees "You want me to exist while the world doesn't."

Soon after Yuya was taken away, Yuri turned silent even after Zarc started asking him questions. Judai and Johan also tried getting him to talk, which he refused the same way, saying he was tired. So they let him rest for a few hours even though Yuri merely lay there with opened eyes. After a while the same female spirit came to change his bandages and brought him something to eat. Despite not having a decent meal in last two years, the purple haired boy hardly ate since he was still feeling guilty. Once Xiangsheng Magician determined his ankle was well enough for him to move around, Yuri got to leave the Healing Ward. On the way to the Throne Room he was again accompanied by spirits who were as surprised to see him as another similar looking human child in the palace as he was to see so many of them.

The Dragon King was back at his desk, with his head in the papers he was working on before Yuri's arrival while Stargazer and Timegazer Magician assisted him. Zarc then just took him around the palace, showing him the rooms and various locations. The whole time he didn't even mention Yuya or Yuri's disturbing backstory, talking mostly about the Realm of Spirits. Yuri more or less just listened since the new knowledge intrigued him and the sight of amazing architecture left him awestruck. By the time they reached garden he asked about the generals to which Zarc replied that they had personal stuff to attend to which Yuri quickly figured out was recovering Asuka's body so they could give her a proper burial. More he heard about Judai and Johan, more guilt gathered up inside of him for being so rude to them. Not only did they fight in a war against their own kind, they lost so many loved ones and were forced to do terrible things in order to protect the spirits. No wonder why their spirits trusted them so much.

Yuri then got lost in the sigh of beautiful flowers all over garden, thinking how happy Asuka would be to see them. The thought of the kind herbalist who done so much for him finally made him tear up, right next to the roses. He remembered the very first time she showed him how to take care of the flowers, seeing her as the savior who was there for him until the very last breath left her. She gave him a purpose and helped him discover his passion for plants, but with her gone now… he was just lost. He no longer knew with whom to share the new knowledge about the plants. Whom to report about the new discoveries. Or who to show the unique flowers so they would gave him a hug and thanked him for making them smile…

That was exactly what Yuya wanted, just to give him a little craft of flowers, wishing him to recover soon and probably just wanted to keep him company so he wouldn't be alone. Yuri couldn't deny feeling warmth when the odd-eyed lookalike was with him. It was just like when Asuka picked him from underneath the freezing snow and wrapped him up in a warm blanket. Another angel that he feared would be taken from him because of his mistakes.

"Why do you even bother with taking me in? All I did was insulting your generals and made Yuya cry." Yuri said after a while of nothing but silence "Trust me, you don't want someone like me."

"What if I do?" Yuri's eyebrows went up from Zarc's words.

"You don't… I'm a monster, a demon who causes destruction to everything good that comes to it. Even if I keep it down… I'll sooner or later snap and hurt someone." new set of tears started raining down from his eyes, right over the dried ones "Believe me I tried… for two years… but then I murdered entire village. I don't want to hurt any of you… you've only tried to help me out."

"Yuri… your mind is in really complex state right now and I clearly understand what you mean to tell me. General Judai was in a similar situation."

"The one who slapped me for me wanting the hunters dead?"

"That's right, he too was carrying so much anger and pain inside of him, refusing any help from his friends until it was too late. The spirit of a Supreme King made him do unthinkable things and once he realized it, he also wanted to die so no one else would be hurt. But just when he was about to finish off himself, I managed to hear his silent cry for help and talked him out of it. You and Judai are very much alike."

"But how did he manage to control it?"

"Well you may know that each emotion, anger and sadness included, has a lot of power. You can use it to hurt others or… convert it into something else. That's what Judai did."

"How can you convert something so destructive?"

"You can if you know how to do it. Judai turned this power into a desire to protect the ones dear to him. His spirits, his fellow general Johan and his other friends from Fusion Kingdom." Zarc smiled when he saw Yuri looking at him all awestruck from the new information "You too can do it."

"But I… who can I protect? I have no one left…"

"You have Yuya."

"Huh? How can I after… after what I did to him…"

"Yuri… no Lily listen." Yuri blinked at the nickname he hasn't heard for so long "The flower you were named after isn't just any flower. Lilies represent so many nice things, with friendship and devotion among it. I think Asuka thought the same when she named you. She wouldn't give such powerful name to just someone, she gave it to you because she believed in you. Just like I believe in you."

Yuri couldn't help but to make eye contact with Zarc for the very first time. Since their first meeting, the purple haired boy kept his head down or away as he couldn't look into his eye, not after hurting someone dear to him. He was afraid of becoming the very same kind of a person he despised and in his mind he was convinced that the Dragon King saw him like that. But now that his purple eyes connected with Zarc's yellow ones, he realized that the man didn't see him like that in any way. His eyes weren't expressing hate or contempt, not even sadness or pity like generals did. No, everything that Yuri saw was faith and forgiveness. The Dragon King truly believed he could overcome his starvation for revenge and his pure support was the proof for it.

"Lily, you can do this. By learning how to put your raging emotions into power to protect someone you care about, you'll get to know the emotions you lacked for so long." Zarc put his arms around the still child who was too deep in thought to care "Believe me, if Judai did it, so can you."

The second time Zarc used the flowery nickname, Yuri burst into tears, clenching onto the Dragon King just like he did when he was very little with Asuka. It has been so long since he felt so helpless and safe at the same time, with someone who truly cared about him, stroking his hair. Zarc knew him for less than a day and yet he took him under his wing instantly, assuring him he would help him overcome his painful rage. It was exactly what he needed - not pity, not sympathy and definitely not a change of heart. His heart was alright, just damaged badly from the years of experiencing difficult emotions. What he needed was someone who believed in him and someone whom he would protect with his power.

Zarc was his new light, just like Asuka was before him.

…

"I don't know if I should go or not…" Yuri peeked from behind of a pillar that supported one of the balconies "… what if I mess up again?"

"Just go there, I know you can do it." Zarc smiled while patting his shoulder in support.

Yuri sighed as looked at the grass field where the familiar odd-eyed kid was playing with a bunch of animal-looking spirits. He was right in the middle of putting bow ties, hats and other silly accessories on them which the spirits seemed to like. Yuri thought it was childish, but then again he really didn't know how ten year olds were supposed to act like. All he knew was that he was supposed to get to Yuya and apologize for being rude and triggering his panic attack a day ago.

Soon after the talk he had with Zarc, Yuri was taken to another guest room that was luckily on the other side of the palace. He didn't want to run into Yuya until he was ready which was anything but easy. Yuri replayed the conversation over and over and each time he was sure it was worse than the previous try. He try to distract him by conversing with the Dragon King who brought him fresh clothes, showed him the way to the bath and stayed around him for a little dinner. Zarc also told him that Yuya woke up around the dinnertime as well though he had it in bed due to still being shaken up a bit. Fortunately the gazers were with him, so he wasn't alone and Yuri could get to know the Dragon King on the more personal level.

With the night coming Yuri barely got himself any shut-eye from how nervous he was. Despite the comfortable blankets and pillows, the sleep was the only thing that he didn't get. By the time morning came and with Zarc bringing him breakfast Yuri was already dressed up as he didn't see any point of lying in bed if he couldn't sleep. Once he took those few bites that assured the Dragon King that he at least ate something, Yuri quietly went to the nearby flower field while Zarc went to see Yuya. The pink haired boy was surprised to see so many new flowers there along with both familiar and unknown plant spirits residing there. At first he just went on with picking the right flowers, trying not to bother the spirits, but once he wasn't sure which colors would go well together he started asking them for opinion.

The plant spirits were at first a bit surprised since they mistook Yuri for Yuya at first since the odd-eyed boy would spend a lot of time outside, but once they got to know Yuri's plan they gladly assisted him. The purple haired boy hardly noticed time passing since he got really into his little craft. Although he knew the great deal about plants, making flower crows wasn't one of the things he knew. Fortunately there were also few plant spirits from the human world that watched people making flower crowns and therefore knew how to help him out.

At last he was done and sneaked back to the palace where Zarc awaited him. He quietly accompanied him to the grass field where Yuya was also crafting something that looked like performing accessories. Yuri gulped down big time, seeing the flashback of Yuya having a panic attack all over, and fearing he will mess up again. He was even about to turn back when Zarc just smiled and gently pushed him towards the grass field. The pink haired boy took a deep breath and stepped towards Yuya who was right in the middle of tying up a bow tie to the wolf-looking spirit.

"Alright then! Are all stars ready?" Yuya stood up, putting on a pair of goggles with a star covering one of the lenses "Then the show can start!"

All spirits cheered in reply as the odd-eyed boy, now wearing matching goggles made a bow to the invisible audience with a smile.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! I'm so glad you've made it to our show today! We have so many stars ready for truly extraordinary performances, so please enjoy the show!" the spirits then came close to him in a pose each of them also bowing "Today you will see Whip Viper's magic trick, some acrobatic acts done by Silver Claw and lastly we will all join the Cheermole's lovely dance!"

As soon as he was done with the introductions, a purple snake spirit with a bow tie and a hat coiled around Yuya's arm while hissing in chanting manner. The wolf spirit with huge silver claws, also wearing a bow tie with an addition of two shining chains began jumping around doing somersaults, at times even jumping through the circles made by Whip Viper. A shy looking mole spirit wearing a pretty dress and hiding behind two fluffy pompoms was a bit unsure about her act, but once Yuya started dancing with her, Cheermole joyfully lead the dance. The whole time Yuya led the three spirits on head, clearly showing he was the one who came up with the show. All three spirits surely enjoyed performing with the odd-eyed boy even if there was no audience. Yuya laughed and performed some individual acts as well while the spirits cheered him on. Once they were all done, they again bowed to the invisible audience, though despite no one there they heard clapping.

"Yes, yes thank you! We hope you enjoyed our show and make sure you come to see us the next time, Haor…" Yuya giggled as he turned around, expecting to see Zarc since his Haoryuu would often watch his little shows in secret. But instead of the Dragon King, there was someone else.

Yuya nearly flinched at the sight of the boy who looked so much him, instantly remembering about their first meeting. Ever since he woke up back in his room after passing out from the panic attack, he was wondering just who exactly Yuri was. The Gazers who attended him while he rested didn't tell him more than Zarc did before he went to visit Yuri, though as he lay in the bed unconscious he could see many different memories concerning the pink haired boy. In a way he understood his pain while in other way he really didn't understood his action. He could remember the times when he was locked in that tiny cage, praying he wouldn't get hurt that one night and hoping no one else was going through the same pain he did. When he saw Yuri happily collecting plants and interacting with townspeople he was actually glad that his lookalike had at least some happy memories.

Though now that he faced him again, he wasn't sure what he would do. His heart was so complex that he could hardly point out which emotions he was expressing. Will he hit him again? Will he call him names? Yuya couldn't tell. All he could see was Yuri raising his hands over his head.

But surprisingly he didn't aim to hit him in the first place. Instead he placed a very similar looking flower crown on his head and gave him one more round of applause.

"Y… You're n…not mad with me?" Yuya uttered once he got his throat to work again.

"No…" Yuri answered rather awkwardly, completely different like yesterday "Your show was nice…"

"Th…thank you." the odd-eyed boy slightly blushed at the praise.

"Don't mention it." Yuri had to practically look away to hide his own blushing caused by Yuya's gleaming eyes.

Whip Viper, Cheermole and Silver Claw half-guessed the two boys had something personal to discuss, so they left them be as they discreetly headed for the forest where other spirits were. For a while neither of them could utter a sentence without stuttering, not until they subconsciously began to walk around the palace. Yuri tried to distract the conversation with telling Yuya about the flowers he picked and their healing abilities. The purple haired boy would rarely pick the flowers for decorative reasons, since he saw better use for them, but for Yuya he made an exception, even going as far as learning to knit up a flower crown.

"They're pretty… and smell nice too." Yuya said after examining the flowers up close.

"I thought you'd like green and red chrysanthemums since… they look like your eyes." Yuri again had trouble hiding his blushing.

"You did a really nice flower crown… wish I knew where mine was…"

"You can make another… and we'll both have them then."

The conversation was still getting awkward and Yuri nearly wished they could be done for the day. But he promised Zarc to get closer to Yuya and connect with him so he could learn what it meant to protect someone you care about. Though for now, he had to figure out how to talk with him in the first place.

"Say… why did you make that show with the spirits?" Yuri then asked "From what I know you were forced to perform and got punished if you didn't do it right. So why would you keep on doing something that obviously scarred you?"

"I perform for myself." Yuya stated, no longer stuttering, talking in more mature manner "It may sound weird… but I always liked being on stage."

"But what about…"

"It was painful… but when I saw people smile and enjoy the performances… it made me smile a bit too…" Yuya wiped a tear that sneaked out of his crimson eye "Here I can make spirits smile… without being afraid I would mess it up… though I still try to make the best show as I can."

Yuri couldn't help but be impressed with Yuya fighting his own demons in such a nice way, much better of what he was doing. To think Yuya has been beaten, mocked and isolated from people and still had a will to live on… what was his excuse? By now he got to know that the odd-eyed boy was truly like Zarc described him, so Yuri no longer had anything to hold him back when asking the last question.

"Yuya… are you afraid of me?" Yuri stopped in his tracks, making his lookalike doing the same.

"Not really… you were scary yesterday though…" Yuya replied in confusion feeling like he had a déjà vu of Zarc asking him the same thing.

"I'm sorry about it, I really am. I had so much stuff in my head to deal with and it wasn't right to lash on you because of my own problems…"

"You don't need to say sorry, I pushed into you too… I didn't know you were in pain…" Yuya ran his fingers through his messy hair "I was just a bit sad that we couldn't become friends…"

"We can!" Yuri said it so suddenly that Yuya nearly jumped from surprise "I mean… we can still be friends… if you accept me as you friend that is."

Yuri scratched his head in thought, not knowing how the odd-eyed boy would react. He could see him staring at him with wide eyes, partly hiding behind the flower crown. The pink haired boy was sure he screwed up yet again, especially from seeing tears bubbling at the edges of Yuya's mismatched eyes. Yuri was just about to give up in the plan he doubted would even work when he felt Yuya's arms around his waist and his lookalike all teary but with a smile on his face.

"Of course we can be friends!" Yuya exclaimed holding onto Yuri like he was afraid the purple haired boy would be gone if he were to let him go "You can tell me more about the plants… and we can go explore the woods to find more of them… and we can make more flower crowns!"

"How did you…?"

"I saw few of you memories… I don't know how, but every time you were looking for new plants… and talking with the plant spirits… you looked so happy…"

"Yuya…"

"I want you to be happy! So please stay…" Yuya sobbed into Yuri's shoulder "I don't want you to leave…"

Yuri gently returned the hug back to Yuya whose reaction was beyond from what he expecting. Zarc was right, Yuya was a person that he wanted to protect from the pain that ravaged his heart. Just like Asuka was there for him, he wanted to be there for the boy who looked so much like him.

"Don't worry, I'm staying." Yuri rubbed the back of the other boy "I promise to always protect you."

Yuya could only smile, happy that the little family he was part of just got a new member.

The Dragon King quietly watched the two new siblings properly bond and felt the void in his own heart fill a little bit more. The little firefly brought the light to his life and now a newly sprouted lily made it even more beautiful.

…

Yuri needed couple of days just to get used to the enormous palace. True he had explored the woods larger than the building itself, but hallways and rooms looking all the same it was trickier. Luckily Yuya had the knack for knowing where everything was and gladly led him to wherever Yuri wanted to go. If not for his lookalike, Zarc's spirits gladly assisted him as well, especially after showing the interest in the library where much more books about plants were. The purple haired boy gladly read one book after another while Yuya was still stuck with his short picture books and fairytales as his literacy was at the basic level. Yuri actually turned out to be very good at explaining of how to read more difficult expressions. Yuya would at times whine of it being too hard to learn, but with time he got used to it.

Exploring the forests and grass fields on the other hand was Yuya's strong hold. He pretty much knew where everything outside was thanks to the spirits he was friends with, whom he nicknamed Entermates, though he wasn't that familiar with the plants. That's where Yuri's knowledge came into the play and once befriending more plant spirits that he simply called Predaplants, the purple haired boy got to experience the thrill of finding new flowers all over again. Yuya gladly accompanied him wherever he went, learning new things himself or just enjoyed the time with someone his age. Although those trips were an activity that Yuri liked in general, he would too join Yuya's activities that went from simple games with Entermates and crafting accessories to more complicated games and those little shows he prepared.

Since the two of them got so close, Zarc arranged for their rooms to be next to each other so the y wouldn't need to cross entire palace just to see each other. At times the Dragon King would even find them sleeping in the same bed, snuggled to each other like a pair of newborn kittens. This came handy whenever Yuya would still get night terrors since Yuri was strong enough to hold him down until he was calm again. Same could be also said for Yuri who for the first few weeks would constantly see Asuka's dying moments in his dreams and woke up crying. But then he would see Yuya next to him or simply knew Yuya was close and remember he had to stay strong for the odd-eyed boy.

As the more weeks progressed and Yuri's dreams were still anything but calm, Yuri got a visit from Judai and Johan. This time their conversation was much calmer and deeper, with the purple haired boy spending more time with Judai to learn more about how to control his emotions while Johan would play with Yuya. Yuri feared of how the two of them would approach each other, but with Judai sharing his backstory from his own point of view he got to understand him better. Asuka was brought up as well, everything of how the Fusion ruler met her to the very last moment before Judai became Zarc's general along with Johan and practically vanished from his old human life. Yuri was surprised to learn that Asuka also had an older brother, that she lost to the one of the human wars, years after Zarc' victory and not that long before she found Yuri. As the two of them talked further, Judai also offered to take him to the Fusion Kingdom where her grave was. The purple haired boy took it into consideration as he wasn't ready to face it just yet.

It took him nearly a month before he was ready to put on some black clothes and contact the Fusion Ruler to pick him up. Yuya also offered to come along to be beside him whom Yuri refused politely, saying it was something he had to do himself though he accepted beautifully crafted wreath made of roses and lilies made by Yuya. Standing by her grave was probably one of the hardest things he ever did, knowing that few inches below the ground Asuka was, right next to the remains of her brother who too was buried in Fusion Kingdom. Yuri didn't know for how long he stayed there, staring into the gravestone's letters and flowers planted around. He didn't cry, he didn't talk, he was just there deep in thought. He quietly thanked for each moment that she spent with him, in good and bad, for the things she taught him and for encouraging him to keep on living. Thinking back to the both times when he wished to join her, he realized just how sad she would be. Asuka was with her brother now and he was with Yuya, Zarc and generals. He had to keep going, if not for himself then for Yuya who too made him realize just how precious life can be and that giving up on it is never the right answer.

Once he returned Zarc awaited him, worried that the visit of Asuka's grave was too much for him, but once he felt his calmer aura he knew the trip did him good. Yuri felt relieved once he said good bye to her for real and was ready to live his new life. Unlike Yuya who had to get used to the much friendlier world, Yuri didn't have that much trouble. At times his bursting emotions would threaten to explode, but Yuri learnt how to channel them into desire to protect Yuya. By now spirits got used to the odd-eyed boy walking through the halls and his strange lookalike not far from him, keeping a close eye to anything that might harm him. Zarc would even tease him for being so overprotective despite being pretty much the same when it was just him and Yuya. The Dragon King would still spend a lot of time with odd-eyed child and Yuri didn't really mind it as he would just use the time to read difficult books about plants or go hang out with Predaplants. Yuya still needed his Haoryuu while Yuri was mature enough to look after himself though he would gladly converse with Zarc whenever he could. The Dragon King too showed him his true form at which he was pretty impressed and that much more trusting towards him as he knew Zarc was strong and wouldn't break his promise of protecting him and Yuya.

…

Weeks turned into months when another winter came, with snow covering every inch of Zarc's kingdom. Yuya was overjoyed to see snow, calling all his Entermates to go play and even make a snow show out of it. Yuri on the other hand, dressed up in the warmest clothes and wrapped in numerous blankets, rather stayed inside. Besides plants lying under piles of snow and being reminded of hellish winters in that village, Yuri was never really a big fan of snow. But that one day in particularly Yuya's puppy eyes were especially big and even Zarc had time to go with them, Yuri gave up and followed them outside.

Yuya and Zarc immediately started with a snowball game which dragged Yuri in as soon as the first ball hit him and in the matter of minutes they had outright war. Zarc was glad his Gazers and other loyal spirits weren't there as they too would join the game and knowing how powerful their magic is… boy would they the short end of the stick.

The Dragon King was about to make another ball and carefully aim it at Yuri, when something in the air stole his attention. It was definitely a dragon spirit, but with how bright the sun was he couldn't tell which one. Soon Yuri and Yuya noticed it as well and cautiously got behind Zarc who now pointed out the shimmering wings and bright white aerodynamic body carrying something. Once it was close enough and landing near them, Zarc smiled as he recognized the rider.

"It's been a while Yusei." the Dragon King greeted as the Synchro Ruler got off his Stardust Dragon "Is everything alright in the Synchro Kingdom?"

"It's doing well for now, though that's now for what I came for." Yusei replied and almost as soon as he got off the dragon, he was climbing back on its back.

Zarc curiously watched how the general climbed towards the dragon's head as well as Yuya and Yuri did, peeking from behind their Haoryuu. At last they could see what Yusei was doing. Hidden behind one of the folded wings was a human boy Yuya's and Yuri's age, desperately holding onto the Stardust Dragon's body.

"It's alright, we've arrived." Yusei coed as he tried to get the boy off his dragon "You don't need to hold on anymore."

But the child kept holding on and only after Synchro ruler talked with him more did the boy let go reluctantly and almost immediately hid behind Yusei. With some difficulty, the general managed to get back to Zarc since the kid wouldn't let go of his leg. Now that he was so close the Dragon King could see that the child wasn't only the same age as Yuya and Yuri.

Except for the blue hair with blond bangs and bright blue eyes, the boy shared the same face as the duo.

If one was an incident, the two was coincidence, was the three a pattern?

Zarc didn't know, but he did know that this child brought by Yusei had also been through hell. While he wore an oversized coat, the Dragon King could clearly see the tattered rags that were supposedly his clothes and terribly malnourished body, not to mention the fading scars wherever he looked. Not only that, the boy hardly let go of Yusei or the Stardust Dragon.

"His name is Yugo… and he had nowhere else to go…" Yusei started the story that was far too long to be told outside the palace.

"Then let's go in and see what we can do for him." Zarc took a hold of Yuri's and Yuya's hands since they were still to dazzled by another lookalike to move.

The boy by the name Yugo, on the other hand, wouldn't move. Only when Yusei put him back on Stardust Dragon's back and let the dragon carry him did the boy look up. He didn't look at any of the present people, only at the dragon.

At its beautiful clear wings.

Next chapter preview: When scouting the unknown lands with an old friend, Yusei comes across terrible human cruelty and child suffering under their hands. Will be Yusei able to save him from the cage and give him the clear wings that the boy is so eager to have in order to be free? – Next chapter – The Boy Who Wishes For The Clear Wings

Forgive me my little blossom, like I'm not torturing you enough in Dragon Guardians, you had to go through this too :'(

I believe that in anime Yuri went through something similar to become such character. I have no doubt Leo Akaba never saw him more than a tool for his plans and perhaps if older Asuka would help him out when he was young enough, I bet his personality would be similar to the one in the manga. Asuka originally wasn't planned to appear in his backstory, but as I rewatched those few episodes where her motherly personality was shown I couldn't help but imagine little Yuri with her. The whole thing about roses came from the fact that she would leave a rose at the spot where her brother disappeared in the GX anime.

But yeah we got through and we're moving on to Yugo. His personality is luckily similar to Yuya, so I don't think I'll have that much trouble with his story. Yuto's story though... might get a bit complex, but I went through all the plotholes while writing Yuri's part so it won't be a problem. For now, I can't really say when I'll update since I'm updating Dragon Guardians first and I'm also currently working on fanfic exchange (modern dragon family AU), but please do leave your comments, thoughts, kudos, questions, theories below since I'm really curious if I managed to satisfy your fangirling for our lovely red cabbage :P


	4. Boy Who Wishes For Clear Wings

I'm terribly sorry for delaying this since 2018 started, but at last, I managed to finish it. If I were to use Yugo as we know him from the anime, I would probably do it much faster, but nooo I had to use manga Yugo (which I still think is cuter than his anime counterpart :D ). Well to spare you from any further waiting, enjoy the new chapter.

Though please, take your time as it is probably the longest chapter I ever wrote (25.000 words, holy hell?!) and keep a box of tissues somewhere near. As far as I can tell, Yugo has the saddest story of them all (but happy ending, I promise!).

* * *

The winter wind howled around the castle's walls as the sun began to set, the sky slowly darkening down. The freshly fallen snow began to freeze as the cold engulfed it as soon as the sun was gone. Luckily, the certain two look-alikes were safely inside, sitting on comfy couches and wrapped in warm blankets as they slowly sipped down warm milk with a pinch of honey. Zarc and his general of the Synchro part of the spirit world, Yusei, both had their tea, but neither of them touched it.

They were far too busy with trying to get someone else to drink a warm beverage.

Yugo, a boy whose face looked just like Yuya's and Yuri's, was also wrapped in blankets, his eyes blankly staring at the cup with steaming milk. No matter how many times Yusei held the warm drink close to his lips Yugo seemed as he wasn't even sure what it was and just sank into his blanket more. It wasn't that the blue-haired child seemed not to like milk. It looked more like he was afraid to drink it and on top of it, Yugo was even skinnier than Yuya had been when Atem and Yugi brought him to Zarc. By the looks of how starved he was, the boy should be gulping it down in hunger, not ignoring it like it was a bitter medicine.

"When did you find him?" Zarc asked to break the silence of nothing but Yusei's whispers to Yugo.

"About a couple of weeks ago… we found him along with a bunch of other kids that we… rescued… and we assumed he got taken from his family. We managed to return all the children back to their homes, but we failed to find his family or the place from where he was taken." Yusei let Yugo snuggle to him after the kid took a tiny sip of milk "I came across Judai and Johan while searching for his home with other Signers and they told me about you taking in two children whose faces were identical to Yugo's. In fact, when they saw Yugo they were convinced he was one of those two."

"I see…" Zarc scratched the back of his head in puzzlement "So they thought he could be related to them…"

The whole time Zarc and Yusei conversed, Yuri carefully listened to every word. With mind sharper than Yuya's, he has always been curious just from where he was coming from, something he had in common with both Yuya and this Yugo kid. The earliest thing he could remember was just being stuck in some sort of house with other people until someone decided to leave him in the forest in the middle of a heavy snowstorm to die before Asuka rescued him. From what Timegazer and Stargazer told him, Yuya couldn't remember much either since anything before landing in that circus was nothing but a blur to him and any attempts to remember more often resulted in panic attacks. The spirits that Zarc sent to investigate their origins didn't find anything either so their early childhoods were a complete mystery. The same case seemed to be with Yugo, but unlike him and Yuya, the third lookalike just looked… empty.

Empty of any emotion, just like a doll.

From what Zarc told him, Yuri knew that when the two of them arrived, each of them was overwhelmed with one emotion. For Yuya, it was fear since he couldn't normally function for quite a while before Zarc make him feel safe again. And for him it was anger. He still struggled to control it at times and even Yuya would get triggered by most random of things, reliving his most painful memories over and over again.

But Yugo didn't portray any emotions at all. He was just there, staring with bright blue eyes that were actually closer to white than blue. As Zarc and Yusei continued to talk, Yuri tried to communicate with Yugo in some way, being as careful with gestures as he could considering how awfully his first interaction with Yuya went. The lookalike didn't even blink at Yuri's waving hand let alone looked in his direction, just more leaning at Yusei's side like he was extremely sleepy, similar to how he would see Zarc doze off when working on the paperwork. While Yuya wanted to talk with Yugo as well, Yuri gestured him not to since he doubted that Yuya's cheery personality was what the half-dead kid needed.

Noticing his wards trying to communicate with the child, Zarc called for the Gazers within his mind. As much as the two kids wanted to help Yugo, the Dragon King knew that the situation was far more complicated for them to be involved just yet and to add up, both of them, especially Yuya, were quite exhausted from their snowball fight. What they needed right now was a warm meal, a bath, and a bed. Before he knew it the Gazers were back by his side, bowing to greet Yusei, though they hardly hid their shock when they saw the third lookalike in the room.

"Take Firefly and Lily back to their rooms. They are pretty tired from today's playtime and they need to wash up and get some food in their bellies." Zarc said while gently petting their heads.

Before either of them could protest, the Gazers already took their hands and escorted them out of a meeting room where they were currently staying. Yuri understood, following Timegazer's lead while Yuya seemed as he wanted to stay, Stargazer trying to explain things to him to which the odd-eyed boy responded only with more questions. Fortunately, Yuri held onto his hand as well, giving him a trust me look as he and the two spirits dragged him out of the room. Yuya gave his Haoryuu one last confused look before Gazers closed the doors.

With the kids gone, Zarc could now ask Yusei for more details. In order not to discuss the sensitive topic right away, the general rather told him how things were going in Synchro's part of spirit world and how the rest of the Signers were doing. The kingdom that Signers ruled didn't have as much complications as other ones, so they spent quite a lot of time in the human world helping out spirits and humans alike. Their dragons assisted them as much as they could such as carrying them from one place to another. The Stardust Dragon now rested from the journey from Synchro in a grand hall that was big enough for his big form and warm enough to be comfortable enough. Yusei tried to keep it long so Yugo could get enough time to get used to the new environment. The whole time Zarc observed the barely moving child in Yusei's arms, how disinterested his eyes were and just how still he was all the time. If the Dragon King didn't know better, he'd say that the boy's soul was stolen.

"So… what exactly happened for him to suffer the injuries to this extent?" Zarc finally returned to the topic that they were supposed to be discussing.

"I can tell it all, but I think Yugo needs a bath, food, and bed first too." Yusei picked up the blue haired child and as soon as Yugo noticed a movement, he grabbed onto general's shoulders with the little strength that his scrawny arms still had.

"Of course, just follow me." the man leads Yusei to the other part of the castle.

Just like when Yuya arrived here first, Zarc asked Xiangsheng Magician to draw a bath for a new guest along with some of the fresh clothes and light dinner even though he doubted Yugo would eat anything if the milk alone was a challenge for him. As they walked through the luxurious hallways, the child kept his face buried in Yusei's shirt, not wanting to look any other way.

"If I may ask… why did you decide to bring the poor child to me? He's obviously more attached to you and your Stardust Dragon." Zarc asked in a bit more uncomfortable tone.

"That's not really the case…" Yusei replied, fixing the hold on Yugo a bit "It's not that he's attached to me and Stardust only. He's attached to whoever gives him comfort. The poor kid has been through too much hell to care for anything else and would stay wherever he feels safe. The thing with Stardust… well… he likes him because he can see his bright wings so well."

Zarc raised his eyebrows at the last sentence, confused about just what the general meant. It took him until they reached a guest bedroom with a bathroom to figure it out. Only when Yusei gently undressed Yugo and wrap him up in a soft towel did the Dragon King truly see it.

Yugo's eyes were never really following anything that was going on around him. He just stared like he wasn't seeing anything before him and let Yusei place him in a warm water. His scrawny body barely supported him in the sitting position and numerous fading scars didn't help at all. The kid flinched a bit at the new sensation, but let it slide as he moved his hands around to examine the sleek material of the bathtub along with a few shampoo and soap bottles that were placed there.

He couldn't see them otherwise after all.

The reason why Yugo was so terrified of being too far from Yusei or Stardust Dragon was because they were his guides in the world of darkness. Should he be separated from them, Yugo was completely disoriented of where he was or who was with him. Even now, the boy was calm because Yusei's gloveless hand was resting on his shoulder – a way to reassure that the general was still with him.

"The first few days were the worst…" Yusei sighed as Zarc reached for the sponge and other cleaning tools despite still being dumbfounded by the shocking reveal "He would run around and scream until someone would take him in their arms. If someone would touch him without a guard he'd start shaking so much that he could as well knock himself unconscious. And when he would wake up all alone… he'd be just wandering around until someone would eventually be by his side."

"I-I… just can't believe this…" the Dragon King handed the soap to the general "For someone who's so young to already have eyes damaged to this point…"

"He's not completely blind… he can still point out bright objects and what's directly in front of his eyes… but that's about it. Everything else is complete darkness to him and that scares him." Yusei explained as he started scrubbing Yugo's back "I'd gladly continue taking care of him… but there are children just like him still waiting to be rescued. Right now the other Signers are continuing with the search and rescue missions, but I'll be needed soon-"

"I'll take care of him." Zarc shot right away.

"Are you sure? Judai and Johan told me about the kids you're already taking care of… and from what I heard they've also been through a lot." the general gave him a worried look.

"They're doing much better now that they're recovering together." Zarc reached for more towels "I'm sure the three of them are connected by something far more than just their resemblances and I believe that if they stay together, there's more chance of them healing properly."

Yusei saw the grit in the eyes of his Dragon King, remembering of the time when he first met him. He was just an orphan at the time, living out on the streets and struggling to survive each day. Even though he was just a child, no one wanted to help out a boy who came from the Satellite, an infamous district where a big explosion caused by the clash of enslaved spirits and human mages had happened, killing many and marking even more with after-effects of the magic. Yusei lost his parents that day and all alone he lived on his own on the streets, surviving on the scraps of what he found. Other than that he was just moving around in hopes of finding food or a better shelter. Not until the day when a stranger whose face was hidden by a mask approached him.

"Are you alright?" the stranger asked, Yusei slightly looking up from the spot where he has been trying to catch a quick nap before.

"I manage," Yusei replied, ready to run away if necessary. In the past even those who appeared to be kind were dangerous, he had far too many experiences like these. But that stranger only gently caressed his right arm, whispering in his ear so only he heard it.

"There is a power inside of you that is just waiting to be awakened." the man then lifted the sleeve of the boy's oversized shirt, revealing the mark that made other people avoid him at all costs "This is a sign of a someone that is waiting for you… but to stay or go is your choice alone."

"What do you mean?"

"You have something that connects you to the spirits." the stranger pointed at the mark on his arm "This birthmark is your destiny, you can follow it or you can refuse it if you don't want to. As you are right now, you're stuck between both worlds, but I can guide you towards your own destiny or erase it if you wish."

"Who… is the one waiting for me?" was the sole question that Yusei wanted to ask. For as long as he could remember he was alone, so who could possibly wait for him?

"Someone really special."

That's when he met Zarc who took him to meet Stardust Dragon. The spirit was fairly young at the time along with other offsprings of Crimson Dragon, so the young dragon bonded with Yusei quite fast. Soon more kids with birthmarks like him were found by Zarc, each of them entrusted to take care of another dragon and therefore Signers were formed. Once the war broke out, he and other Signers joined the war without a second thought, each of them sworn to protect the spirits.

The Dragon King gave them a purpose in their lives, the Signer Dragons became their reasons to live and the need to protect the spirit world gave them a reason to fight. Just like Zarc helped him out, Yusei was determined to do the same for people and especially children in need. So leaving Yugo in hands of the person who helped him stand on his own feet was most definitely a right thing to do. The Synchro general was brought back out of his thoughts once he noticed how much was Yugo dozing off already. They did have a tiring journey from Synchro part of spirit world to here after all so it was more than understandable for a child to be exhausted to that point.

Yusei was going to lift him out of the bathtub and get him ready for bed, just like how he's been doing since he rescued him, when Zarc already did it before he did. Yugo flinched at the unknown touch, but the Dragon King seemed to pick on that fast as he instantly started comforting him by gently stroking his back which made the child more relaxed. Yusei helped him put the nightclothes on, Yugo's bony arms slipping out of the sleeves right away of how skinny they were. The two of them went to the freshly made bed, clean sheets and warm blankets prepared especially for Yugo. The nightstand also had a steaming plate of a simple porridge that was rightfully cooled down and despite how little milk Yugo drank back then, Yusei took a spoon and scooped a little of it for the child. Back when he had him at Synchro, Yugo would eat those few bites in order to stay alive but he never ate anything on his own. It was like food was completely foreign to him and he really ate only if he was spoon-fed. Soon enough, not finishing even the half of the portion, the child's sleepiness finally won him over, so Zarc gently lay him in the bed, fixing the pillow underneath his head and tucked the edges of the blankets to make sure Yugo won't be cold.

"You seem quite skilled at this." Yusei commented as he put away the bowl.

"It's not the first time that I'm putting an injured child in the bed." Zarc remembered the same scene with Yuya and then times when Yuri would violently wake up "And I still can't understand why children are always the ones suffering the most."

"You haven't even heard the whole story…" Yusei sighed with a sullen look.

Zarc used his magic to weaken the light in the glowing crystals so Yugo could sleep better and Yusei could tell him the rest about how he found the poor child. From what Zarc was told by Gazers, Yuya and Yuri were already in bed, with the former already sleeping and latter reading, so the Dragon King had time to hear about the horrors that happened to Yugo.

…

Yusei flew on the back of his Stardust Dragon over the mountains along with Crow who was riding his Black Feathered Dragon. Jack, Aki, Rua and Ruka were supposed to join them later on since they were taking care of something back in spirit world. Kiryu, an old friend of Yusei's who happened to be a mage, had sent the Signers a message with his suspicions about a certain town that might've been hiding something horrible. As one of the council members of a group made of mages, Kiryu would often patrol the populated areas and would take care of all the problems by himself, so to need a Signers' help must've meant it was pretty serious.

He and Crow landed at the edge of a cliff where their dragons weren't as visible and got down using the limited magic abilities they had as Signers. To call the place where they arrived at a wasteland would be an understatement. There was literally nothing but the hard rock and dry land wherever you looked, the mountains gave a little shade to otherwise burning sun and the small town in the distance seemed as it was falling apart. Just who in their right minds would live somewhere like this? Crow was just about to suggest what they should do when an eerie sound of harmonica was heard, echoing through the walls of rocks.

A man around the same age as Yusei and Crow walked towards them, his form being hidden by a travelling cloak and face obscured with a hood. The Head and Tail Signer recognized him right away as their friend Kiryu, the very same guy who asked for their help. His long white locks flapped in the wind as he approached his two comrades. He certainly looked way more mature than the last time they met when the war was still ongoing.

"It's been a while, Kiryu." Yusei offered his hand with a smile which his friend gladly took.

"It sure did, but we might need to save the chatter for later. We need to hurry up in fact." the white haired mage pointed at one of the mountains.

"Wow, you did grow up." Crow raised his eyebrows at the maturity that Kiryu portrayed "So what are we dealing with?"

"This used to be a mine where a rare mineral called Dyne was dug up, but due to an accident over six years ago it was closed and all the people from the town moved away. It has been a ghost town ever since." the mage walked towards the cave that used to be an entrance "Recently someone noticed the weapons made from that mineral on the black market and since it's so rare, I've started investigating."

"So the mine is in works again?" Yusei gave him a concerned look.

"But how? From what I know once mines collapse, it is impossible to reopen them again." the Tail Signer scratched his head when realization hit him "No way… do you really think they would…?"

"Yes…" Kiryu replied simply as they reached a closed entrance "They're using child labor."

As someone who grew up on the streets and often took care of the orphaned children, Crow was absolutely enraged that kids that young would be enslaved and brought into deadly mines. For the collapsed mine to be operating again it probably meant that children were pushed into the tunnels where their little bodies would fit and were surrounded by stone prison every single day. Besides the danger of falling rocks, claustrophobic environment and exposure to ore, the children were most likely treated as tools that could be replaced.

"So where are the kids?" Yusei asked looking around for entranced that weren't blocked by rocks.

"I found out that they are kept in some sort of dungeon in one of the caves in the mountain next to it when they aren't working. I wanted to go save them as soon as possible, but there are guards everywhere and the number of children kept there is worrisome. I needed your help to release them."

"Well you got it!" Crow cracked his knuckles "These bastards will get a serious butt kicking for taking those kids!"

"We'll have to wait until the evening though." Kiryu gently grabbed Crow's arm "That's when they bring them back to the dungeon, because it's more stable than the mine. Should we go there we would risk the mine collapsing."

The two Signers nodded and once Kiryu led them to the hiding place behind some rocks they started constructing a plan. Stardust and Black Feather dragon took onto their spirit forms so they were no longer visible to regular people and patiently waited on the same spot in case their help would be needed. Before they knew it the sun was down and the time for them to act.

Hiding under the dark ponchos provided by Kiryu, all three of them sneaked to one of the seemingly blocked entrances where they awaited the guards with the captured children. Soon the wall of rocks in front of the entrance moved, proving it really was just a fake door that gave an illusion of rocks. From there at least twenty guards emerged, all leading around fifty children on a chain that was locked on cuffs around their wrists. All kids looked terrible, barely lifting their feet off the ground and their empty eyes staring on the ground the entire time. If there weren't for guards pushing them forward they probably wouldn't know where to go since their moving was awfully similar to puppets whose strings were being pulled. Crow barely kept himself together at the sight, his nails nearly drawing blood of how tightly he clenched his fists. But they had to stick to Kiryu's plan if they wanted to defeat the guards without endangering children. Luckily, the time of action was getting close, so both him and Yusei were prepared to do their part. At once, the two Signers touched their birthmarks.

BWOOM!

All guards instantly pointed their eyes at the cliff from which the explosion was originating and the big cloud of smoke was emerging. Like Kiryu predicted only a handful of guards stayed since the rest went to check on the commotion, leaving children unguarded. This gave Yusei, Kiryu and Crow an opportunity to instantly attack the guards before the others were back. Yusei relied heavily on close combat while Crow would summon several spirits known as Blackwings who shielded confused children as he knocked out the guards with spirits' help.

Unfortunately the distraction caused by Stardust Dragon and Black Feather Dragon didn't work for long since the guards were already coming back, but that too was a part of a plan. They were away from the children enough so the trio could take care of them without putting the kids in the danger. Luckily the guards didn't possess heavier weaponry, this making their rescue mission easier. With nothing but whips, metal sticks and chains, they were no match against spirits, skilled close combat and magic. There were only a few of them left when the Tail Signer realized in horror that there were more guards getting out of the hidden mine entrance, getting close to the helpless kids. But Kiryu had a plan for that too.

BANG!

"You're a mage and you're using a gun?" Crow shrieked at the sight of the weapon in Kiryu's hand.

"I aim better with it." Kiryuu narrowed his eyes at Crow's remark as he shot down another guard "Here, you can use my spare one."

Yusei managed to catch the gun that was thrown at him, immediately aiming at the guard that was about to grab the chain locking the kids. The bullets were enough to bring them down without killing them since Yusei aimed for non-lethal places. Despite their cruel actions, the Head Signer still valued each life and whatever punishment he had for the guards it should wait until children were safe. Few more bangs with guns and kicks to the gut, and all the guards were on the ground unconscious or unable to fight due to injuries. Once they made sure there were no more of them to take down, the trio proceeded to the next step. Kiryu went to tie up and drag all the guards into the dungeon where kids were usually locked while Crow and Yusei checked on the children. They also called for their dragons that gracefully landed next to them so they could move the kids to a safer place faster.

The moment the two huge dragons appeared before them, some children gasped at the sight, but none of them was really scared. It was like that they could feel the calming aura that oozed from the dragons and two Signers, which made them feel safe and trusting of the strangers who came to their rescue. One by one, Yusei and Crow released each child from the cuffs that dig into their wrists and gently placed them on the backs of their dragons. Kiryu advised to take them to one of the buildings in the nearby town for which he knew it was big enough and still had basic living accommodations, enough for them to spend a night and properly check on them. Soon enough Kiryu was back too and he joined Yusei on his Stardust dragon with a first set of the children. Crow stayed with the rest while the duo flew back in town where Kiryu led the first rescued group to the building. As a mage he was skilled at healing magic and there were quite a lot of injuries to take care of. He hoped the rest of the Signers would be there soon since checking on more than fifty children who spent years in slavery was no easy task. Eventually all kids were taken to the safety of an old building where they were given blankets and treatment for their wounds, both physical and mental. The children were quiet, hungry and just confused of what was going on, but either way they accepted every comfort that was given to them.

Soon the rest of the Signers arrived, bringing food, blankets and clothes for which Crow and Yusei asked them to bring. Aki and Ruka started making a soup in an old cauldron that was still useable while Jack and Rua went on to heal children's injuries. The wounds varied, the most common being the cuts around their wrists and ankles from the cuffs. Crow hardly looked at the kids who removed their clothing to expose their bruised skin to show where they were whipped or beaten by the guards. There were also kids whose injuries were quite old and it was a miracle that they were still alive. No matter what, Signers and Kiryu gave each child as much attention as possible in order to comfort them from the horror they were just saved from.

It took them nearly an hour before all the kids were given first-aid and were properly tucked up in their blankets as they slowly ate a warm soup. Kiryu and Jack went to check on the guards while the rest just stepped from one child to another to talk with them in order to find out more of how they ended up in mines. Only few managed to talk properly, others still too shaken up or injured to share their experiences as well. From what they learnt the majority of children were taken from villages and smaller towns around Satellite. Some kids haven't seen their families for more than three years which was the time when they were kidnapped and they longed to see their parents again. The Signers promised to take them home as soon as they are well enough to travel, which made a lot of them calm enough to rest.

But while passing past the children huddled up on a pile of old pillows, the Head Signer noticed a girl who was quietly sobbing. Instantly Yusei crunched down to her level, seeing her tear stained face and blood-shed eyes.

"What's wrong? Does anything hurt?" he checked for any injuries that might've went unnoticed.

"H-he… is st-still there…" the little girl cried.

"He?" Yusei asked in shock "Is someone still in the mine?"

"A boy… h-he was kept in the m-mine! He was always separated from the rest!" she started shaking the more she talked "He's still there!"

"Calm down, it's alright." Yusei patted her shoulders in support.

He got from her stuttering sentences that another child was still in the mines, but before rushing off to get him, he had to learn more about the situation.

"Now focus, where exactly is he?" the Head Signer asked once she calmed down a bit.

"There was an isolated cell where some of the kids were kept if they didn't follow orders. Near the entrance there's a narrow tunnel that leads there, but it's really dangerous!"

"Don't worry, I'll go get him." Yusei gently stroked the girl's hair "Now you get some rest alright?"

The girl wiped her tears and nodded, giving the Signer a pleading look to save the boy. Yusei stood up, taking his bag and heading for the door. Crow was close enough to hear the conversation between him and a girl to explain others where he was going. The Tail Signer offered to go with him, but Yusei knew that it was better to go alone since from what kids said the mines were really cramped and it was more difficult for more people to move in them. With the help of the Stardust Dragon who patiently waited for him outside with other dragons, he got there before he knew it.

The fake wall was entirely removed so getting in there was fairly easy enough. There were still some lit oil lamps that illuminated the mines enough, though a lot of them were put out, probably by guards. Following the girl's directions he eventually found the tunnel she was talking about. And she wasn't kidding when she said it was dangerously narrow. Yusei felt like he was going down the roof and the fact that the ground was slippery just added up to the difficulty. Just in case, he sent two of his weaker spirits, Road Runner and Bolt Hedgehog to have a look around. Due to their spirit forms it wasn't that hard for them to move plus they were also faster and had higher senses than him.

Once he reached the flatter grounding, the spirits were already back by his side, nudging at something in the dark. With no oil lamps, Yusei used light magic to illuminate the way consisting of an empty tunnel with a few wagons filled with ore, boxes with tools and at the very end of it, bars. There was an iron structure build around the dented wall that had a really little space behind it. Without a need to light up that space, the Head Signer knew someone was there. Since mines were embarked in silence now that no one was there, Yusei could clearly hear quiet breathing that was closer to sobbing. Without a second thought he focused his thoughts into the bars he held onto, the fire magic melting them away. Carefully he entered the small space cramped with only few tattered blankets and boxes.

And there was the boy.

He was around ten years old, like other children whom they saved, though now that Yusei saw him up close, the boy could as well pass for a much younger child from how small he looked. His dirty blue hair with blond bangs was messily spiked up and nearly entirely covering up his squinting eyes. Like others he was also noticeably malnourished, but at much larger scale. The dirty shirt he wore looked more like a nightgown on him and the pants only stayed on due to the belt tightly keeping them up. Otherwise he had nothing on, stick-like arms lying on the ground unmoving and feet bare while his head was floppily leaned against the wall as his wide eyes emptily stared in the distance. If the Head Signer didn't hear his breathing before, he could as well think he was too late and the boy was long gone.

But he wasn't and if he wanted to help him out, he'd have to bring it out of this awful dungeon. Yusei approached him slowly in order not to scare him off. Using the same fire magic, he undid the chains that bounded the boy to the wall. Like a marionette without strings, the limbs hit the ground making the Head Signer gasp at how light the boy really was. There was no telling it – the poor kid seriously needed to be brought out of the mines and get some proper treatment. He was half dead already, so Yusei didn't lose even a second when scooping him up in his arms, carrying him out of the dark place. Road Runner and Bolt Hedgehog used a little bit of light magic to lead him out since getting up that narrow tunnel was anything but easy.

The whole way out, the boy didn't say a thing other than making quiet gasps whenever some of the rock dust got into their eyes. The Head Signer was rather surprised of just how calm the boy was though then again, the kid probably was just dazzled from everything that was going on. Somehow Yusei managed to get out fast, especially since his spirits felt uneasy and that certainly wasn't a good sign. Clenching onto the small body, the Head Signer managed to crawl out of the tunnel and ran towards the exit when a pure instinct made him dodge the sudden falling debris. Shielding the boy from any falling rocks, Yusei finally managed to get out however much to his surprise he wasn't alone. And it wasn't any of his comrades.

Dressed in brown clothes, similar to the ones that guards were wearing and leather boots was another man with hair tied in an ugly pigtail who held the gun, aimed at the ceiling of the entrance, exactly where Yusei was lying with the boy. Another shot and more rocks could probably hit them both. Considering his current position, one wrong move could become deadly for both him and the kid since all the guards had proved to have fast fingers and Yusei doubted he could crawl away before the man would pull the trigger.

"Where did you take all the brats?" the man asked while his eyes observed the Signer curiously "Tell me and I might not bury you with the useless one."

"Useless?!" Yusei's face turned red from anger "You'd call a child useless?"

"So? That's what he is. I paid good money for him and the brat wasn't capable of working for more than a year."

"For a good reason! You're starving and beating them up! They're only children, not tools!" Yusei protectively put his arms around the boy.

"Yeah, yeah I keep hearing that, but business is business. Dyne can only be found here and with smaller tunnels we need appropriate workforce." the man dully mingled with his gun "Look I don't have time, either tell me where did you take the other ones or I'll-"

BANG!

A bullet hit him in the arm and another one followed, hitting him in the shoulder. The man let out a surprised yelp as he landed on the ground, clenching onto his wounds.

"Yusei!" Jack shouted from the distance, followed by Kiryu who still held a gun clouded in smoke.

The Head Signer quickly used the chance to get out of the hidden entrance in order to check on the kid. Surprisingly even this kind of an ordeal didn't bring a single reaction out of him. His bright blue eyes just stared emptily at him like they were made out of glass. Jack went on giving the man a quick first aid so he wouldn't die and after tying him up, dragged him towards the dungeon where other guards were.

"Lotten… the bastard never let go of the mine." Kiryu gritted his teeth at the man "He used to be in charge of this town but after the accident everyone pretty much left. I'd never expect he'd go as low as this."

Yusei nearly didn't hear him due to how worried he was for a kid in his arms. A situation such as this would surely dazzle him out of his state right? Wrong, the boy stayed the same even once Kiryu approached him, examining him closely.

"How did you know someone was still there?" the mage asked as they began walking back to the town.

"I didn't, one of the kids told me he was still there." Yusei fixed a hold on the boy as he mentally called for his dragon "I really have to get him back to the town as fast as I can. Could you check the mine one more time just in case?"

"You don't need to ask me twice." Kiryu said as he turned back to the mines.

Stardust Dragon also arrived by that time, landing right next to Yusei as always. Considering how the boy wouldn't react to anything, the Head Signer just put him on the back of the dragon, securing him with his arms around his waist to keep him safe. He was about to nudge the dragon to go when he noticed something happening in front of him.

The boy's eyes were staring like they did so far, but this time they stared at something specific. As the sun was setting, its light shone directly on the Stardust's wings, making its sparkling wings that much brighter. The child even extended his fragile hand to caress the nearest wing, watching it like it was the most precious thing in the world. Yusei nudged his dragon to wait a bit since this was the first time that the boy showed interest in anything. What happened next surprised him even more.

"C-le...ar… W-Wi..ngs…" the boy stuttered in pained moan like his throat has been made out of sandpaper.

Yusei reached for his water bottle, pouring some of it into boy's mouth. The child needed a while before he felt the water and gratefully drank it in few big sips. In a way the Head Signer expected him to go back to his quiet state but instead the boy continued to adore Stardust's wings. Even once they were up in the air and the dragon's wings flapped fast, the boy's bright eyes wouldn't break a contact with the sparkling wings. By the time they reached the town, the kid was noticeably tired and yet his eyes were still pointed at the same thing.

Not having a heart to separate him from the one thing that seemingly calmed him down, Yusei left him on the dragon and rather led him towards the abandoned barn that was big enough to fit all of their dragons. Red Daemon Dragon and Black Feather Dragon were outside, looking for any threat that may endanger their Signers and the children while the rest were nestled inside. Due to being healing dragons, Ancient Fairy Dragon and Life Stream Dragon were quite exhausted from lending their magic to the Signers that were healing the children so they were both curled up and sleeping next to Black Rose Dragon who was fixing its scales. Yusei managed to find a nice place in the corner where his Stardust Dragon also nestled up with the boy still on its back.

"Yusei?" a pair of voices asked, making him turn around to see two familiar faces of twins "Is that the boy?"

"Yes… and for some reason the Stardust Dragon made him all relaxed." Yusei gently stroked the boy's hair, he still not giving any particular reaction to it "Can you take a look at him and heal any injuries that you find? I'll go get him some blankets and food."

Rua and Ruka nodded at the request in a bit more uncertain way since kids were supposed to be brought back in the building, but knowing Yusei for so long they knew he must be right. Ruka so used her magic to search for mental wounds, while Rua looked for physical ones. The Head Signer returned back to the main building where he saw Crow helping out Aki who was cooking more soup. Yusei grabbed couple of spare blankets and would go retrieve some food for the boy when he felt someone tugging onto his shirt. It was the same little girl from before.

"Did you find him?" she asked close to crying.

"I did and my friends are healing him right now." Yusei smiled which made the girl more relieved.

"Is he alright?" she continued to ask like she was afraid of the answers.

"I'm not really sure… he looked so…" the Signer thought of the words to describe it "Say, can you tell me more about him? You seem to know a lot about him."

"I-I…" the girl stuttered "I only know him because he stood out so much… and he caused trouble too… He was so… I don't know…"

Yusei was a bit surprised to sense a hint of resentment in her words, like she cared about the boy but didn't like him at the same time.

"Do you at least know his name? He didn't really talk to me while I was bringing him here." Yusei tried to continue the conversation now that the girl didn't seem as she wanted to talk at all.

"Yugo… that's his name… but I doubt he still remembers it." she nervously stepped from one foot to another "Even though he made such a big deal out of it whenever someone would pronounce it wrong."

"How so?" the Head Signer nudged towards the corner away from the other Signers and sleeping children once he noticed how uncomfortable she looked.

"We were all taken from towns and villages around Satellite... he was from somewhere else and he could never really recall the name of his home place. That was about two years ago, a year after we were brought here…"

"So you were brought here three years ago?"

"I'm not sure… it's what the guards said…" the girl wrapped the blanket around herself tighter "When you're locked underground… you easily forget the time… You just hope the guards will give you some extra food, that the ceiling won't collapse on you… and that everybody will follow the rules."

The girl gazed through the window, visibly shaking from every said sentence, but despite it she continued. Yusei was really impressed that even all that happened, that ten year old girl remained brave enough to share her experience unlike so many of children who would tear up at the simple question if they were alright.

"Yugo… when he was brought in the mines, he was just like everyone else. Scared, confused and obedient… like we all were. But during the night when we were locked up in that dungeon, he would talk with us, saying we would be okay." girl hugged herself when thinking back "Weeks before he was brought here… I-I lost my friend… no one really comforted me about it since it was just something we would need to get used to… but Yugo sat down with me and talked until I felt better. He did the same with other kids who lost their friends… he really gave us hope that we will get out one day."

She made a slight smile, knowing that Yugo's words actually came true, but soon it turned grim.

"He said too that he is searching for something, though he never knew what it was. It was like a big part of his memory was missing… he would often say that some of the kids and the mine itself reminded him of that something…" the girl gripped the edges of the blanket "But then… about a year ago it was like something snapped in him."

"What do you mean snap?" Yusei asked in a worried.

"Like… I don't know… he became a completely different person." she narrowed her eyes at the memory "He would start breaking the rules, desperately trying to escape and talking in complete gibberish. It caused trouble to many since he wouldn't stop even if the guards beat him up. He would just start fighting back more... it was like he didn't even feel the pain. We all told him to stop acting like that, but he wouldn't listen and only struggled more."

The girl angrily gripped her blanket, hands clenched in fists.

"We would start getting less food, we were beaten more regularly and we were pushed to the more dangerous parts of the mine… all because he didn't care!" she shouted, nearly waking up some of the kids "We all tried to knock some sense into him, but he would ignore everything. Then… they took him away…"

"Away?" Yusei repeated, puzzled at the word.

"I don't know where, but we were all just glad we won't be punished because of him anymore… I know it's wrong… but we were all hurting and we just wanted it to end… We thought they took him somewhere else since he could handle the pain and work hard… some even thought they finally got rid of him…" the girl continued now close to tears "But he was back couple of months ago…"

"Was he all…" the Signer tried to find the right word "…empty?"

"Yes… I'm still mad for what he did… but he didn't deserve that."

"What exactly happened while he was gone?"

"I don't know… I only remember guards talking about how somebody finally fixed him… For some time he worked the same as before, but he didn't talk with anyone… not even when we were locked up in that dungeon… and then he would be sent to do specific works in another part of the mine… I'm not sure what he had to do there… from what other kids heard he was doing pretty pointless tasks…"

"I see…" Yusei sighed, not knowing what she meant with fixed.

The little girl then went quiet, clearly tired from everything that unfolded in a single day. Even though Yusei wanted to know more about this boy named Yugo, he knew well that children had their own limits and needed plenty of rest from everything they went through. Seeing both Jack and Kiryu were back and Akiza was done with soup, Yusei only took the girl in his arms and carried her back the pile of pillows where other kids were resting.

"Am I a bad person… if I didn't care what happened to him?" she mumbled, pulling blanket all the way to her chin.

"No… you were just trying to survive. Everyone would in this kind of situation." Yusei gently petted her head "And if you didn't tell me that he was still in the mine, I wouldn't be able to save him. So you're in no means a bad person."

The girl gave the Head Signer a grateful smile before snuggling closer to other kids, seemingly less tense than before she spoke with him. Yusei headed back to Aki, who spoke with Kiryu with a worried expression, to get some of the food for the boy Yugo who was probably starving from how thin he looked. Hopefully the twins were done with healing by now so he could have the food in peace.

"Was there anyone else at the mine?" Yusei asked Kiryu as he scooped the soup in a big mug.

"I checked twice and there was no one. Even my spirits didn't find anything, though I did find…" the mage stopped and whispered it on his friend's ear, the Head Signer understanding why Aki looked so shocked.

"We can't do anything about it… but at least we can get the rest of the kids back home and bring the Lottel to the justice."

"Why didn't you bring that boy here though? He'll be probably much more comfortable with other kids than on his own with the dragons." Kiryu asked once he noticed that Yugo wasn't anywhere among the rescued kids.

"Well that's the thing…"

Yusei explained the rest as he and Kiryu walked back to the barn with blankets and rightfully cooled down soup. Rua and Ruka were still casting healing magic on Yugo, who had his head in Ruka's lap, eyes still opened and his chest slowly rising and falling. Considering how many children did the twins had to heal it was understandable that they would be tired, but from the looks of it, the Heart and Front Claw Signer seemed like they were drained of their strength. When Kiryu looked at their faces, he thought the twins just returned from a mountain hike, not healing a child.

"Was it that bad?" Yusei approached the boy who still hasn't broken the eye contact with Stardust's wings.

"Yusei…" Rua mumbled after whipping a sweat off his forehead "I… I… can't believe he's still alive…"

The serious tone in usually cheerful Rua shocked him so it certainly had to be worse than it looked. While bringing Yugo here, Yusei never really got a chance to properly check for all the injuries due to Lottel and Yugo's hopeful look at the wings. Just what has this kid have been through?

"He has so many healed fractures… probably going back as long as five years ago… then there were fading scars of cuts and even burns… mostly from corroded iron…" Rua barely described without feeling sick "And his legs seemed to have been heavily damaged in the past but he still walked with them. It's like he was unable to feel the pain… Then his eyes… a lot of kids had damaged eyes from spending so much time in the darkness… but he…"

Rua looked like he was about to cry, Ruka hardly comforting him as she was too about to break down in tears.

"… he's half blind already…" the Heart Signer said as tears started running down his face "… and his hands were damaged too… he no longer has a feel in them…"

"Bastards…" Kiryu balled his hands in fists "They probably made him work with Dyne directly."

"What do you mean?" Ruka asked while trying to calm down her brother.

"The mineral Dyne is extremely dangerous when exposed to unprotected skin. Even for adults it is hard to handle and requires thick gloves and other equipment. If his hands were in state as bad as that… then he was probably forced to scrap the mineral off the smaller pieces without a decent protection…" Kiryu looked at Yugo's hands up close "And if his eyes are that damaged from being in darkness… then he has been working in the mines far longer than any of these kids… and probably wasn't let on the sunlight."

A simple thought of who would force a five year old to work in such conditions and continue to push him for years left them with a sick feeling in their stomachs. If the physical wounds were that bad, Yusei feared just how bad he took it mentally.

"What about his mental injuries?" Yusei broke the silence.

"I-I don't know..." Ruka shook her head while her hands were still cradling Yugo's head "It's like there's no damage at all... But that's not the main problem..."

"You mean there's nothing at all?" Yusei remembered the little girl's words.

"Yes... each child that we healed had some emotion rushing through their mind, but he... He has nothing... It's like his soul is missing"

Yusei gently caressed Yugo's head, in hopes the boy would acknowledge something else besides Stardust's wings. There was some movement, but it was really mild, like Yusei and others were just flies to him. Even when Ruka put Yugo in Yusei's arms and he proceeded to wrap him in a blanket and give him food, the only thing that Yugo did was blinking a bit more intensely. With the light of a setting sun it was visible that the boy's eyes weren't really bright blue like how Yusei remembered from that one glance the first time he saw him. No, they were close to white with just a tiny hint of sky blue. Taking a hand that could no longer feel in his own and giving it a soft squeeze, Yusei gently whispered in his ear.

"We'll get you home little one, I promise."

…

Zarc stared at Yugo's sleeping form, still shocked to learn just what kind of horrors has the child gone through and from the looks of it, Yusei wasn't done with the story just yet.

"It took the kids couple of days before they were well enough to travel and for us to hand the guards to appropriate authorities. We tried to get Yugo to interact with other kids, but in the end Stardust was the only one who truly comforted him. So for those two nights and throughout the days we took turns watching over him so he wouldn't be deprived of human contact." the general fixed the blanket around Yugo "Once the children gave us enough information about their hometowns we started bringing them back to their homes. Each time, we brought Yugo along in hopes someone would recognize him since he was the only one who couldn't tell us where he was from. No one knew anything about him."

"What about that girl? Didn't she say he would talk about his hometown?" Zarc remembered.

"She only mentioned that he couldn't remember it, even when he was his old self. When we got her home, she said goodbye to Yugo and even hugged him, but he didn't even acknowledge the fact that someone else was hugging him. In the end he was the only child left and until we came across Judai and Johan we didn't know where else to look than to aimlessly wander through human kingdoms." Yusei looked at his birthmark and then at Yugo "I tried to look in his memories for any clues by all means possible and every time I got nothing. I've never seen anything like it before."

"I did..."

Yusei was stopped in his tracks at Dragon King's words but then again, Zarc was far older and wiser than he was so it perfectly made sense that the ruler of spirits encountered something that Yusei had no idea existed.

"Now I remember why his state looked familiar... It reminded me of the time when I found Aki." Zarc thought back "Unlike you and others, Aki's birthmark has been recognized when she was much younger and was therefore taken by mages who worked for dangerous people. Like Ruka she also shared connection with spirits ever since she was born and was therefore made into their soldier."

Yusei remembered the day when Zarc took him to meet other Signers. Jack had already bonded with Red Daemon Dragon at the time, the twins have been just starting learning about their powers and Aki was fully connected with her Black Rose Dragon at that time. Crow came soon after him and what he knew about others was basically that they all came from the streets and were isolated due to their weird marks. He never knew Aki had such dark past.

"Aki doesn't really remember the time with the cult that manipulated her into becoming a sadistic killer. I would do anything to punish the people who took her childhood away, but no matter how hard I searched I never found them." Zarc sadly looked at the sleeping child "I managed to erase the pain from Aki at least."

"Do you think you could do the same with Yugo?"

"I can try, but with the state as bad as his… I will need some help." the Dragon King stood up, heading towards the window "It will take time… and a whole lot of healing before I dig into the depth of his sealed memories…"

"Please let me know if you find anything, I really wish to take him home."

Zarc was a bit taken back when Yusei said home, something he never really thought about before. What if Yuya, Yuri and Yugo indeed have homes and their parents are still desperately waiting for their return? What if all three of them were forcefully taken from their families just like those children? Would they want to go back? Would they prefer to be with their actual parents than him?

The Dragon King didn't know. He had looked in Yuya's and Yuri's memories many times and he never got to the memories from their early childhood to when they were five. It wasn't that memories were hard to reach, they were simply not there. Zarc knew that in a lot of cases when it came to traumatic experiences, children would erase the painful memories out of their minds like some sort of a defense mechanism. But what could be more terrible than years of physical abuse, emotional isolation or slavery? Zarc didn't know.

But he did know that another scarred child was now in his care and he was determined to help him out the same way he helped Yuya and Yuri. Murmuring an order for one of his Gazers, Zarc stepped closer to his general.

"You said you have tracks on other places where children are enslaved." the Dragon King brought about Yusei's request from before.

"We do and we have no idea just how many of them are there. Synchro part of human world is after all the largest of them all and from what Judai told me, there might be some of them even in other kingdoms. Each second another child like him could be in danger." Yusei gave his king a pleading look "I tried to find something other than Stardust's wings that may help him heal and I'm afraid to just leave him someplace that won't give him comfort. I know I'm asking you a lot-"

"There's no need to say another word Yusei. I'll take care of him."

"Are you sure? With other two kids and your kingdom to take care of-"

"Yusei… the moment you brought Yugo underneath my roof, I swore to myself to do anything to see this boy smile. Just like Firefly and Lily, this poor child shouldn't live like a broken doll. I know there's a tiny part of his former self still somewhere in him and I'll do everything I can to bring his smile back."

Listening to his king, gave Yusei a much needed assurance that Yugo was in safe hands. As much as he believed that the child's parents are still waiting for him, he trusted Zarc to fit in the parental role just as much as they would. After all, the Dragon King was the very same person who raised him right and helped him become a ruler of Synchro domain of the Spirit World.

"Then so be it." Yusei gave a small bow "I will have to leave in the tomorrow before noon. Yugo should be awake by that time so he'll be able to be properly separated from Stardust."

"There's a room right next to this one if you wish to rest a bit. The journey around the human world and from Synchro domain to here had to be quite tiring I believe."

"I thank you for your offer, but I think it would be the best if I stay by Yugo's side. If he were to wake up during the night he would have really bad reactions from being all alone."

"Then allow me to at least switch with you from time to time." Zarc smiled "You haven't changed much Yusei, still putting the needs of others way ahead of yours."

The general smiled and knowing the Dragon King had everything under his control, he moved the chair to the bed closer to sleeping Yugo. There's going to be another long night, though at least he knew now for sure that the boy was someplace that resembled a home much more than at any other place so far. Zarc then excused himself, saying he had something to do and will be back after a while to take Yusei's turn at watching over the child. Once he entered the hallway and nearly reached the throne room, he finally found whom he was looking for.

Astrograph Sorcerer was at his regular spot, a balcony that despite being small gave him an excellent view at the town nearby during the day and a clear view at the starry night sky. He would be usually with Chronograph Sorcerer when not patrolling Zarc's kingdom and when the other Sorcerer would be busy he would look at the stars thinking of how to make the spirit world better for living. The Dragon King wasn't surprised when the spirit bowed before him the moment he stepped on the balcony. Nothing passed his precise vision after all.

"How may I assist you?" the spirit asked, his voice echoing like it came from a distant galaxy.

"Astrograph Sorcerer, please deliver this message to the right person. I need their help." Zarc handed him a magically forged scroll with glowing letters.

The spirit nodded at the request and with a scroll in his hand teleported out of the castle. Zarc was tempted to finish up some of his paperwork, but knowing that Yusei could use a little bit of a rest headed towards the guest room where the general and the boy were. As he walked through the hallways, he still thought about the boy without a soul. His empty bright eyes staring, but not seeing anything. Just who would do such an awful thing to a child that young?

If someone would dare to lay their hands on Yuya, Yuri and even Yugo now, Zarc wasn't sure he'd be able to hold back his anger on humans who so selfishly pointed all of their negativity into their own young. The enslavement of spirits and mages wasn't good enough for them so they went after the most vulnerable ones they could find, the children. Zarc angrily punched the wall and for a second he was glad it was made out of strong concrete, otherwise that wall would surely break down.

"Haoryuu?" a small voice asked, making the Dragon King look down to his side.

"Lily?" the man raised his eyebrows at his little ward in a purple robes over his pajamas "What are you doing here?"

"I was just… looking for a bathroom." Yuri replied in an uncertain tone.

"There is one built directly in your room." Zarc scratched his head in confusion "Unless you…"

"I-I… the kid… is he okay? And who is he? Where did he come from?" Yuri blurted out a load of questions in a whisper "Why does he have the same face as me and Yuya?"

Zarc was half-lost in his tracks when his sensitive hearing picked on Yuri's whispers. Slowly he got closer to the boy who stared on the ground.

"I'm sorry, but I don't really know. He doesn't talk and general Yusei told me as much as he could about him." Zarc crunched down to Yuri's level, gently caressing his shoulder "But I'll let you know as soon as I can, okay?"

"I… just…" the boy stuttered "I just want to know who I am…"

"Lily… where you came from does not matter of who you are. You are you, Yuya is Yuya and Yugo is Yugo."

"I know, but I… I just need to find out what happened to me before Asuka found me… and Yuya probably wonders about the time before he was put in that horrible place. I just want answers Haoryuu…" Yuri said in frustration, nearly mimicking Zarc's reaction from before.

The Dragon King wrapped his arms around his little ward, gently lifting him up and pressing him against his chest. Unlike Yuya, Yuri wasn't that big fan of Zarc's baby treatment, but for that moment he let it be. With so many questions bubbled up in his head, he needed some comfort. Burying his face into his Haoryuu's shirt made him feel more at ease, especially since he could hear Zarc's calming heartbeat.

"I too wish to know more about you and Firefly, so I'd known how to help you better." Zarc slowly swayed Yuri back and forth "But it's far too late to be thinking about these things. You need sleep and I promise I'll talk to you again in the morning."

"Will you try to find out more tomorrow?" Yuri asked in pleading-like tone.

"My friend who might know how to help will be visiting tomorrow, so I will. You keep Firefly away in the meanwhile, alright?" Zarc asked to which Yuri nodded "I still don't know how either of you will react to each other, so it's better to keep it safe than sorry."

Yuri nodded and didn't struggle when Zarc carried him back to the room he shared with Yuya. True, both of them had their own rooms, but the two wards would pretty often sleep huddled up together. The two children gave the comfort to each other, harmoniously healing the wounds in their hearts that were broken far too many times by their own kind.

Carrying Yuri back to his room Zarc remembered his first weeks with Yuya, how the poor boy only saw shelter in his arms and would experience panic attacks I he were to be separated from him for too long. While Yugo felt the same when in his arms, it was in fact different. Yuya desperately needed comfort, Yuri did too from time to time even though he was mature enough to handle it on his own and Yugo... it was like he needed it just as much as Yuya but was unable to say it. He had to bring the poor child's voice back and hear his plea for help that was silenced by the darkness surrounding it.

Bringing the purple haired boy back his room he wasn't at all surprised that Yuya was already soundly sleeping there with Stargazer and Timegazer looking over him. Yuri let Zarc press a quick goodnight peck on his forehead and after getting out of his night robes, got next to Yuya whom he hug from behind in protective embrace. And soon the other ward was asleep as well.

Knowing that Yuya and Yuri were both nicely tucked in, Zarc headed back to the guest room in order to take over the watch for the Synchro ruler. Once he got there, he saw Yusei half-asleep on the chair, still looking after the sleeping boy like a mother bear. Zarc could remember just how many times he saw him like this, especially once he took in the youngest of the Signers, Rua and Ruka. The cyan haired twins were only eight when they joined the war, but still fought just as fiercely with the help of Ancient Fairy Dragon and Life Stream Dragon. Now that they were eighteen they followed Yusei's footsteps by taking care of young spirits in Synchro domain while also joining the search and rescue missions in human world. For someone who has lived for hundreds of years, Zarc was surely impressed how fast humans grew.

"It's alright, I can watch over him now, you deserve some rest." the Dragon King gently pat his shoulder.

Yusei gave him a sleepy nod and headed towards the guest bedroom to rest up after not only a long trip from the kingdom he was ruling, but also from the nights he didn't dare to fall asleep on the practically blind child. Even if he would pull several all-nighters in row, he always made sure Yugo wasn't scared to wake up all alone.

Next day Zarc experienced it firsthand just what looking after a partially blind and traumatized child meant. As a dragon spirit, Zarc didn't need a lot of sleep so throughout the night he just sat by the bed, going through the paperwork while occasionally checking for any changes in Yugo. From time to time his breathing would become faster, similar to when Yuya would get night terrors, but unlike the odd-eyed boy, Yugo would just start shaking like having a seizure. Fortunately the same method of giving him mental comfort through whispers of sweet words and gently squeezing his hand, Yugo was fast to go back in sleep.

Before he knew it, the morning sun was shining through the windows, welcoming the new day. Yusei entered the room soon enough too, visibly as fresh as a daisy and Gazers also reported that Yuya and Yuri were awake. Zarc was a bit saddened by the fact that he won't be able to join them for breakfast like he always did, but he knew Gazers could take care of it. Xiangsheng so quietly brought them food in the room in order not to wake up the child.

"Did he make it through the night alright?" Yusei asked, checking over Yugo.

"He had a few episodes, but I managed to prevent him from waking up." Zarc noticed the boy stirring up a bit.

"Good, then he won't be that scared once he wakes up."

Like Yugo heard him, the boy slowly started moving his head and drawing his nails into the blanket like he wanted it off himself. Through different gestures Yusei guided the Dragon King into getting a hold of Yugo's fragile body. As gently as handling a baby, Zarc took him in his arms, making sure that his face was close enough for the child to see it. During the weeks that Yusei watched over Yugo, the Synchro ruler learned that if his or other Signers' faces or even Stardust's wings were the first thing he saw he wouldn't start panicking and rather wake up with an ease.

Just like he did now. Gradually opening his bright eyes, Yugo made a tiny yawn as he was waking up. His blank eyes twitched slightly at the new scenery and at the face of a man he wasn't used to seeing, but taking in Zarc's gentle smile and warm yellow eyes, Yugo didn't show signs of being frightened.

Step by step Yusei lead him through the daily routine that he had followed so far when taking care of Yugo. The child remained the same way, unfocused and still the whole time, although little by little Zarc could've sworn he saw more sparkling in Yugo's eyes.

...

Yuya joyfully ran through the snowy land closely followed by Silver Claw and some other Entermates. Even though Yuri despised snow, he kept his promise to Zarc and tried to distract Yuya as much as possible so Haoryuu could help the mysterious lookalike in peace. As much as he wanted to interact as him as well, Yuri knew well that he could do more harm than good so he sucked it up and kept Yuya happy, even if it meant spending another day in sixty inches of snow instead of warm and cozy library.

"So much snow!" Yuya shouted as he threw himself into it, drawing angel wings with his arms "Come on Yuri, you make one too!"

Yuri politely declined and pretended he was more interested in a blooming bush that somehow still grew in the winter. It soon turned out to be just another spirit that found Yuya's shouts bothersome and got away, taking a reason to not participate in a happy disposition along with it. Not wanting to have his face sprawled by a bunch of snowballs, Yuri rather dragged Yuya towards the pile of snow to suggest a different activity.

"Let's make a snowman." Yuri said, which was enough for Yuya's eyes to gleam in utter excitement.

"A snow Haoryuu!" Yuya already started shaping a big ball of snow.

"Sure, why not." the other boy mumbled, not admitting that he actually liked the idea.

Of course they didn't go off to make Zarc's dragon form in actual size, though it was still quite big compared to the size of two ten year olds who were building it. Entermates stared at the snowy structure in the making confused of what it was and even the Gazers who watched from afar needed some time before they figured out what it was. Truth to be told even Yuya wasn't familiar with snowman building until Yuri introduced him to it. During the winters when he would hang out with those few spirits who were fine in the cold winter and tried to make sculptures out of snow looking like them. The moment Yuya learned just what can you do out of snow, the odd-eyed boy instantly started making his own snowy projects though they were nowhere near as detailed as Yuri's were.

After what felt like hours later, the duo was closed to finish. Entermates eventually picked on how to help out and with their powers combined the snow sculpture of Zarc's dragon form grew right before their eyes. Yuya climbed up the sculpture's neck, fixing its horns.

"Look! I'm on Haoryuu!" Yuya exclaimed while standing on the tall snow dragon.

"Be careful, this thing is nearly 10 feet tall." Yuri warned, knowing that despite snow, his lookalike could still get hurt if he were to fall down from such height.

"Don't worry! I'll be-" a part of the sculpture crumbled away, causing Yuya to lose his footing.

"Damm I told you!" Yuri ran towards the other boy, trying to catch him.

Yuya, still shocked from the fall, but as a former circus performer he quickly curled up to shield himself from the fall. But instead of the cold snowy ground, he landed somewhere much softer, strangely familiar to his Haoryuu's arms.

Looking up, Yuya was met with violet eyes and dark maroon hair peeking out of the hood, covering the head of a person who caught him. Gently placing him on his feet, the odd-eyed boy got to see the rest of the features, mostly covered up by a thick winter cloak.

"That was a close call little one, you should be more careful." the person, revealing to be a young woman who strangely wasn't a spirit like Xiangsheng Magician, smiled.

"Who are you?" Yuri protectively stepped before Yuya.

"Oh so he really wasn't kidding when he said you have identical faces." the woman raised her eyebrows once she saw Yuri up close "Hmmm how should I put this… I'm Dragon King's friend?"

"You mean Haoryuu?" Yuya blinked after hearing the name that Zarc used only for formal occasions.

"Haoryuu? Looks like he kept that name after all." she chuckled while looking around "Can you show me the way to the castle? I have an awful sense of direction."

Yuri was still skeptical about the mysterious woman, but before he knew it Yuya was already by her side taking a hold of her hand.

"The castle is this way!" Yuya grinned as he led her towards the massive building.

…

Zarc had Yugo in his arms as the Stardust nuzzled its head against the boy's face. Yusei shared more information of how he has been taking care about Yugo so far, all while the two of them took a walk around the snowy garden. The general needed to pull his winter poncho tighter on himself as it was much colder than back home in Synchro domain and in the human world. Yugo had one of Yuya's coats on instead of the oversized one that the boy was wearing when he arrived with Yusei. Just in case, Zarc wrapped him in several blankets, making Yugo look like a big marshmallow.

Not that the kid mind it or anything. Just like day before he showed zero interest in anything but Stardust and maybe some things that sparkled like the dragon's wings. This proved difficult since Yusei had to leave soon, taking Stardust with him. The Dragon King so did his best to have Yugo with Stardust the whole time while trying to tell him that the dragon would have to go soon. Even Stardust tried to explain in some way and still neither of them didn't know if Yugo had any idea what was going on.

Only once Yusei got on his dragon, waving goodbye did Yugo stir up a bit, even lifting up his arm like he was calling for dragon to come back. Stardust whined at Yusei like asking if leaving Yugo was really necessary as he too became attached to the kid. The general only nodded sadly since he knew well that another innocent child could every passing moment. He was needed and so was his dragon.

"I'll keep you updated about Yugo's recovery." Zarc reassured him once he saw his general's hesitation "You just go make sure no other child suffers the same fate."

Yusei gave him a polite bow and soon Stardust was up in the sky, taking his Master to other Signers who were heading off for another mission.

Yugo's blank eyes stared at the place where the dragon with beautiful wings was just seconds ago, puzzled and baffled of where it could go. The poor child started turning around, searching for

that shine of bright wings, but seeing only snow and darkness all around it. His guiding light was gone and he was again all alone in the world of darkness.

"It's alright, I'm here." Zarc pressed him closer to his chest, stroking his hair "I know you want Stardust, but for now he has to go somewhere."

Yugo's head swayed like he didn't pick on anything that the man just said. He knew that Zarc was talking, but not exactly what the words meant. Despite it, the voice itself felt like a sincere message that everything would be alright so Yugo just remained still in the man's arms in hopes the dragon with pretty wings would be back soon.

"Over there!" Zarc heard a familiar voice calling somewhere near.

"Firefly? Lily?" the Dragon King looked at them in confusion when he saw his two little wards accompanied by a young woman dressed in white and purple robes.

"It surely has been a while... Haoryuu." she smiled while giving him a slight bow.

"You're early, good to see you responded this fast." Zarc stepped closer while still holding Yugo.

"How can I not outstretch my arm when my favorite dragon needs help?" she giggled while removing her hood, Yuya adoring her beautiful maroon hair tied into two long ponytails "So you're Yugo? Nice to meet you little one, my name is Ray."

Yugo actually turned his head in the same direction from which the voice was coming from. Just like Zarc's voice, the voice belonging to this woman calmed him down the same way so he let her place her hand on his forehead. Using some of her powers, Ray could see some of the most recent memories which nearly made her lose her focus.

"You poor thing… you've been through so much…" she mumbled, trying hard not to get effected by the horrible images of nothing but darkness and pain.

Seeing how Yuya and Yuri stared at Ray using her magic, Zarc urged them to go back to where they were playing before. Luckily Yuya was too eager to show the man Snow Haoryuu before asking too many questions and even though Yuri was dying to get some answers he understood that whatever that lady Ray was going to do will take time. Zarc was pleasantly surprised at the snowy sculpture of himself in dragon form and even helped them work on some of the details to make it look even more realistic. He knew Ray would need a while before she will get into Yugo's memories in the state the kid was, meaning he could spend some time with Yuya and Yuri while Ray did her part. The Gazers stayed by her side too so they could inform him immediately if something would go wrong. He trusted her just as much as he trusted generals after all.

Their last meeting in person happened just before Yugi and Atem brought Yuya, when he was still a lonely mess and she had suggested him to travel a bit or interact with his Gazers more. Their very first meeting however, took way back, to the wartimes.

As the only daughter of the high priest belonging to the temple at the spot where all four kingdoms touched, Ray inherited unique and powerful magic that allowed her to communicate with humans and spirits alike. From her young age she was well aware of the injustices that both worlds suffered and despite witnessing spirits being enslaved, she had to remain neutral about it. Her faith dictated her to never side with anyone since her job was simply to spread harmony and keep everything in balance. Even when the war started and she desperately wanted to go out and fight, her father kept her in the temple where she was safe from the war.

But just like every other kid in their late teens, Ray started questioning the rules she was supposed to follow and therefore became the rebellious tomboy that Zarc got to meet soon after. The Dragon King appeared at the doorstep of the temple in a smaller version of his dragon form when rescuing several young spirits who had escaped slavery. She was just in the middle of sweeping the stairs when she was face to face with Zarc and youngsters that he was protecting. If it weren't for his injured wing, the Dragon King would've picked the spirits and flee in a blink of an eye as he didn't trust humans at all. For him people were monsters that enslaved his kind and creatures who wouldn't think twice before killing the spirits they considered useless. Spreading his grey wings with glowing green markings to appear more threatening, Zarc snarled to keep her away since he was too exhausted to fight and his healing powers weren't kicking in fast enough. Even if it was just a mere priestess, Zarc wasn't taking any chances when it came to protecting the young spirits.

Imagine his surprise when Ray used her magic to heal his wounds and told them about the cave near the temple where they could hide until they would be well enough to travel. Of course Zarc was suspicious about her motives but once he realized that he didn't have a better plan he followed her directions. After that Ray didn't see him until more than a year later.

This time Zarc was using his human form and bowed before her, thanking her for helping him out the last time. Knowing of how fidgeting the spirits could be about humans, the young priestess told him that she should be apologizing for what her kind did to his instead and assured him that she is on their side. Ray was surprised to learn that he had been observing her for the last year, studying her way of life and realizing not all humans were the same. The Dragon King knew that the war was approaching and he needed as many allies as possible, Ray included. Soon she officially joined his side, helping him rescuing the spirits and finding more human allies who eventually became Zarc's generals.

It all happened nearly a decade ago when the war ended with many losses on both sides. Tired and broken from the war, Ray helped him a great deal when she came up with an idea to use all of the magic they could gather to create their own little world where spirits could finally live their own lives without humans. Two different kinds just weren't meant to coexist in the end and separating the two worlds was the best option. But still his generals and Ray wouldn't give up on the human world and continued to help both kinds until the present day. Ray even used her priestess status to spread the ideology of her temple, no matter how much her father forbade it. In the end she put together her own ideology and after completely dismissing herself from the temple, decided to travel around the kingdoms to share it with people and helping those in need. Though from time to time, she'd drop by Zarc's castle to catch up and to give him a hand if he needed one.

Zarc's thinking about the priestess was stopped when a huge snowball hit his head, reminding him that he was still outside with his two wards. Once Snow Haoryuu was finished, Yuya went on making more snow sculptures, mostly resembling his Entermates while Yuri helped him out with the details. Zarc had no idea just how long he was outside with Yuya and Yuri, though considering the position of the sun and the growling stomachs of his wards, several hours have passed. With more clouds gathering in the sky Zarc concluded it was enough fun in the snow for children for today, so calling for Xiangsheng Magician he entrusted her to take care of the boys while he goes through Yugo's memories with Ray.

After Yuya and Yuri were taken away by the female spirit, Zarc headed for the guest room to which Gazers teleported Ray and Yugo so she could see his memories in peace. The Dragon King was rather surprised when he saw that Ray still wasn't done and her emotionally exhausted expression could only state the whole process was anything but simple.

"The child's mind is just so fragile that I was afraid to continue many times…" Ray said with her hands still on Yugo's forehead "I can't even describe it…"

"That's why I want to see it for myself. I have to know what happened to him in order to help him."

"Say, why didn't you have me do the same thing with other two? You told me to search for their origins along with several other spirits, but never to look in their memories? I think that the boy that you call Lily also wishes to know what happened in his early childhood."

"Because, they likely concealed those memories for a reason. Whatever happened to them must've been so terrible that their survival instincts kicked in, making them forget in order to function properly. If I were to make them remember… I fear for their sanity. Yugo's mind is damaged to the point where your magic couldn't effect his current behavior but for Firefly and Lilly… I just don't want to risk it."

"I completely understand your concern." Ray said as she cradled Yugo in her arms "And speaking of which, for some reason I couldn't look into the memories before he was five, except for only few moments that actually appeared to be completely normal. It's like all of them experienced something when they were around five years old."

"Then let me see all the memories you've gone through so far."

Ray let Zarc sit next to Yugo who was in magic induced sleep so his memory could be examined without him being aware of it. As carefully as he could the Dragon King used his powers to look into what Yugo has been gone through in order to end up like this. Ray watch over both of them with caution since both of them could get hurt from watching those terrible pass events.

…

 _"Dad look! I've finally finished it!" Yugo around five years old ran towards a man in blacksmith uniform who was working on_ small _piece of iron._

 _"Well done." his father smiled when Yugo showed him something he held in his palm "A small but precisely made… ehmmm."_

 _"Red Eyed Dice! And this right here…" the boy pulled another small object out of his pocket "Is Tri-Eyed Dice!"_

 _"This is a really impressive work! I bet spirits will be fighting over them." the man used_ magnifying _glass to examine the details "You surely did much better than I did in my days."_

 _"Say_ dad _… how can spirits possess objects again? Do they just go in them?"_

 _"Well no one really knows." he picked the dice shaped object "But from what we know some spirits lose parts of themselves and those parts can only continue to live if they find_ handcrafted _object. Just like the Double Yoyo that I did the same year when you were born."_

 _"Spirits are amazing!" Yugo grinned as he picked more of the scrapped metal "I'm going to make more!"_

 _The scene then switched to what appeared to be months later where Yugo hid_ on _the tree because of something he apparently did wrong._

 _"Yugo come down, this is serious!" a woman who appeared to be his mother called "It's for your own good."_

 _"_ No. _" Yugo said stubbornly, burying his head in the branches full of leaves._

 _"Come on, I know your ear is bleeding. We'll treat that first and then we can deal with whatever trouble you got into."_

 _"Alright…" Yugo slowly slipped down_ tree _with his hand on the bloody ear "I …. pierce my ear. …. didn't do it well."_

 _"But why?" his mother sighed as she led him towards the nearest bucket with clean water "You're a bit too young for this stuff."_

 _"I just wanted to look cool with this crystal earring..."_

 _The boy then_ let _his mother treat his wound and the scene again faded into another memory._

…

"Earring?" Zarc questioned when back in the room with Ray, checking Yugo's ear to see it was indeed pierced though with no earring.

"Yeah when you told me he was kept as a slave, I firstly thought it was from the earrings that they use for marking enslaved people like a cattle. Turns out it was just a silly thing he did in his childhood." she moved some of Yugo's bangs off his closed eyes "He really used to be just like any other child… before…"

"Before what?"

"You'll see it soon."

…

 _Yugo was walking with his father, who carried_ bunch _of iron tools like axes and knives, towards what appeared to be a very festive looking town. The boy despite his small size helped him carry heavy boxes as well, clearly stronger than he looked. They put them on a stand that had signs describing what they were selling and soon everything was ready. Yugo also brought several other items similar to the dices he had shown before, proudly showing off his handiwork. All of them looked like toys, though the details could as well made them into unique decorations. Yugo even wore armor-like shoes that were_ heavy, _but made him look cool, much better than the fail with the earring._

 _"Too bad, mom… can't be with us." Yugo mumbled while playing with his little creations._

 _"She is selling flowers… at a different stand where they sell similar things. Pretty flowers and sharp metal objects kind of don't go together I'm afraid."_

 _"But you and mom are together. Why can't the things that you sell go together?"_

 _"Well that's because…" his father was about to tell him but was never able to finish it._

 _All of a sudden several explosions echoed all over the busy city center. Yugo was quickly pushed underneath his father's coat in order to shield him from the flying pieces of what used to_ be stands _. People were screaming and trying to escape the arrows that followed, along with a cloaked group of men that appeared literally out of nowhere. Just like something out of_ nightmare _, the men marched towards them menacingly, shooting more arrows, casting spells or swinging their swords at everything that crossed their path._

 _Yugo's father quickly took him in his arms, carrying him towards the safety as fast as possible. The streets that were usually occupied by people and stands, which were so nicely decorated for that day's festival, were now covered by broken pieces of wood and rocks. There were bodies of people who failed to escape the deadly raid, children crying and adults yelling in pure terror. Yugo cradled the two dices in his pockets, praying and begging for the spirits that might be in them for this horror to just end. He wanted to be back home, making more pretty objects with his father and helping his mother_ on _the garden. Not this… not this nightmare that decided to rob him of everything that made him happy._

 _Then his father hit the ground._

 _Two arrows hit him, one piercing through his shoulder and other one stabbing him deep in his abdomen. Yugo watched in horror how his father coughed blood from his injuries while still trying to protect him. Despite the wound, his father still didn't let go of him._

 _"Y-Yugo… you must run back to the house… it's too dangerous…"_

 _"Not without you!" Yugo cried, clenching onto his father's shirt that became bloodier each passing second._

 _"Please just think this through… I doubt I can make it far… But you can…" the man coughed out more blood while struggling to stand up "Go! Those people are after you!"_

 _Zarc's own heart was breaking at the sight of a_ five year old _child being forcefully separated from the parent, all while the mysterious group still wreaked havoc all over the streets. Yugo reluctantly_ let _go of his father in order to escape the men who seemingly noticed him. He tried to run back home as fast as possible since the house located outside of the town was currently the best shelter from whoever that group of men was._

 _Then another explosion was heard._

 _Not thinking straight, the boy ran in the different direction, right towards the place from where others were running from. He had to get there for whatever cost, not after his father was_ mostly _likely gone._

 _"Mom! … " Yugo shouted when he witnessed the remains of several stands and flowers._

 _And the bodies of people who couldn't escape the destructive attack and the ones still alive who were heavily burnt from the spreading fire. The whole scene became blurry, probably from the panic and shock as Yugo continued to call for his mother._

 _Then he finally found her, but a simple glance told him he was too late. The only confirmation that it was indeed his mother was her clothing as everything else of her was no longer recognizable. Completely frozen in fear and anguish, Yugo stumbled to his knees, screaming out in tears as the town was being further destroyed._

 _"Look there's another one." two men noticed him while scattering around the stand for valuables._

 _Next thing that Yugo knew he was grabbed by a much larger man, his strong arms nearly crushing his own when they were forcefully pressed against his back. For a moment the boy wasn't aware what was going on, he was just completely still when he_ was dragged _away._

 _"Got any other ones?" the other man who was walking next to him asked._

 _"Yes… I also got…" another man who waited by the cart said and continued to talk about the situation that Yugo seemingly didn't really listen to._

 _Then all of a sudden it was like something snapped within him and before he knew it, he was out of the man's grip. Before any of them could react, Yugo kicked them with the armed shoes, the ones whose sole purpose was to make him look cool and not for self-defense. Either_ way _they were useful when he took them off and threw them in the men's faces, causing them to pass out from the hit. With the shoes off, he was barefoot but faster to dodge more of them as he tried to escape them. Even when someone would grab his little body, he would fight, biting, punching and clawing until they would let him go. He didn't care if they hit him back, it didn't really hurt that much. As a young blacksmith Yugo would accidently hit his hands with a hammer, scrap his skin deep and carry heavy objects many times, all with zero reaction since his pain tolerance was rather high._

 _But sooner or later the exhaustion got the best of him. When he could no longer fight back he was instantly apprehended, had his hands and ankles handcuffed and thrown into the covered cart where other children were. As the cart started moving, Yugo started crying with all other kids until he passed out from all the sadness._

…

"This is terrible…" Zarc was at loss of words.

"It's only the beginning…" Ray said sadly as she cast another sleeping spell on Yugo so he wouldn't wake up just yet "I tried to find what was the name of the town, but for some reason there are holes in his memory before the incident, including the name or any hint where it was located. There were many wars among people five years ago, mostly due to influences of spirit-demonetizing religion that spread hatred all over…"

"Did I… Did I do the right thing when I created this world? When I took all the spirits from humans?"

"Oh Zarc…" Ray gave him a gentle hug from behind his back "Even if you'd taken everything related to spirits or the memories of the times when human race lived with spirits, humans would've find another reason to hate each other. They… We are unpredictable beings that will need years before we can fully change."

"Then how can I prevent them from hurting their own young?" Zarc cradled sleeping Yugo close to his chest.

"You save as many as you can."

…

 _The next memory showed what appeared to be an auction. The children were lined up in chains and the adults haggled and yelled the prices. Yugo was sold to a man who was looking for strong and rough kids for apparently really hard labor. The men who captured him probably brought up his violent behavior to raise his price though they most likely lowered the number of soldiers that he beat up to spare them from embarrassment._

 _The scene skipped to the moment when he was brought in a dark mine. He was only given a pick and pushed into the stone prison where only a dim light of an oil lamp could help him see. Every day from that point on was the same, working in darkness during the day and sleeping in a nearby shed where children were imprisoned during the night. If he struggled, he or other kids were hurt so for a while he just followed every order. Whenever he l took metal tools in his hands or saw anything resembling flowers, he could hardly hold back tears when thinking about his parents. But he didn't cry, at least not during the work. The kids who did were an easy target of the guards who took onto every opportunity to beat them up._

 _But after what seemed to be months, Yugo discovered that his father was right - right about the spirits. The dices that he managed to hide in his own underwear were indeed possessed by spirits and once they concluded Yugo meant no harm, they started showing up whenever no one was watching. This gave him the courage to start gathering all possible pieces of scrap metal that he could find, any discarded tool or even the ore that he was forced to dig out. During the night when guards weren't really watching, he would build up more devices in hopes spirits would choose to possess them and help him escape someday. The more days passed,_ more _kids picked on what he was doing. Some told him he was crazy, some wished him luck but no one dared to betray him. With time some children even started helping him out by also bringing him stuff. With more spirit possessed objects and also tools, there was more hope for them to escape. Yugo didn't know how much time_ have _passed, but it was certainly more than a year, at least according to the guards, before they managed to construct an escape plan._

 _Then came the day of the escape. The older kids learned the patterns of how guards patrolled while younger ones smuggled whatever useful things they found. Yugo sent the Dices, Double Yoyo, and other devices, he referred as Speedroids, outside to cause the commotion. Before that Yugo used his lock-picking skills to unlock the cuffs and once the guards rushed out to see what the deal with all the noise was, Yugo went after the lock on the doors that had them imprisoned all this time._

 _The kids hardly hid their excitement once those doors were finally opened. The older kids held the hands of younger ones who despite being happy to be free weren't sure what would follow. Yugo was among those, clenching onto the hand of a boy around_ couple _of years older than him. As fast as they could they escaped into the night towards what appeared to be a village where they could seek shelter until the further travel._

 _But_ unfortunately _they could never predict that the village was full of selfish people who quickly sold them out to the guards. What was even worse was that they discovered that Yugo was behind the whole plan and before he knew it, he was sent to a different mine._

 _And yet he never gave up. The moment he arrived he already started plotting_ new _escape. The different kids this time were more skeptical of his actions, but let him do what he wanted. The Speedroids luckily escaped the last time and managed to find Yugo quite fast to help him out again._

 _The children in this mine were less willing to leave so only_ few _of them joined Yugo in the escape. Even though they made it further this time, the guards caught up to them anyway. Just like before, Yugo wouldn't give up without a fight._

However _no matter how hard he punched and kicked, it was still not enough and he was back in chains._

 _The third time Yugo faced the familiar darkness he didn't think twice before attempting another escape. He hoped the third time might be the charm, just like his father always told him. During all those times when he was alone in a cell tinkering, his mind would often drift back to his old home that was most likely in ruins and abandoned. The tears would often run down his face whenever he worked as he kept pushing himself to escape. But why was he really trying to escape so hard if he knew that his family was dead and home destroyed, Zarc_ wondered. _The child had a passionate soul that made him go forward no matter the pain he experienced on daily basis._

 _The guards would call him names, beat him up, forced him to crawl in the tunnel that was likely to collapse and made him scattered through ore that made his fingers bleed. By now he was around seven years old, his body stronger and bigger from all the work he was forced to do. The newly gained muscles helped him carry out the new plan for which he knew will be successful._

 _But how wrong he was._

 _Not only the group of kids that escaped with him consisted of really young_ ones, _but the mine where they worked was falling apart. On the night of the escape, Yugo broke the lock of the prison doors built into the mine where they were kept and led the kids outside._

 _But at that one_ moment _the old wooden pillars supporting the ceiling finally gave up under the massive weight of the mine._

 _"Run!" Yugo yelled to the children, urging them to escape the deadly trap._

 _The kids screamed and ran as fast as their exhausted legs could carry them. The pieces of debris started falling as the walls began to crumble away. The tiny Speedroids tried holding onto the falling rocks, but their tiny forms could only hold the heavy weigh for so long. The sight of an exit gave them hope, using whatever strength they could pull through to get out. The rocks were falling, the dust blinded everyone and whichever oil lamp illuminated the hall was put out during the terrible demolition. Yugo urged the kids to hurry and holding onto their hands tried to push them out of the mine, so at least they could survive if not him. He ran and shouted until the world went dark._

 _As his mind faded into the emptiness, he could only see other kids running… and never reaching the exit as the falling beams and debris buried them…_

 _…_

 _The next time he woke up, he was in what appeared to be an unknown building, his hands again restrained and guards arguing what to do about him again. For a_ while _he couldn't remember what happened, but as the guards started complaining_ of _how many slaves they lost, Yugo was instantly hit with_ realization _._

 _All the children died in that escape attempt._

 _And somehow he survived._

 _The regret instantly started burning in his chest. The children trusted him, believed his words when he told them he'll get them home… and he let them all down. Instead of taking them home, he led them into an early grave. He deserved to be dragged into the pits of hell for what he did and yet he was here… why?_

 _"Tell me how the little runt survived anyway? At least dozen of brats perished once the ceiling collapses." one of the guards said while looking in Yugo's direction._

 _"Apparently two beams collided just above him, creating temporary shelter from the falling rocks." a guard that seemed more sympathetic towards the boy_ replied _"I can't say the same about his legs though."_

 _Legs? What did he mean about legs? Only now did he notice that his ankles weren't restrained. Weren't they afraid he's going to run away? Because right now it was an excellent opportunity._

 _He_ however _didn't make it far, in_ fact _he couldn't move more than a foot away. His legs were in excruciating pain, hurting like someone swung a hammer on them hundreds of times. As he looked at them, Yugo could see through the ripped pants just how damaged they were. They were practically black from the bruisers, spreading all the way to his knees with an addition of many cuts, probably caused by the sharp rocks. They were fractured badly, probably broken at many parts. If he were to put any more weight on them they would most likely continue to break so he rather stayed still and face whatever consequences awaited him rather than permanently disfigure himself._

 _"So what do we do with him? I doubt a kid can do anything in the mine if he can't walk."_

 _"What about reselling? I've heard the kid escaped from previous owners before and now it's guaranteed he won't."_

 _"Forget it, no one will buy the broken merchandise that rebels."_

 _"Yeah but what about…" the same guard that showed concern for Yugo before said, starting to debate about something that the boy didn't really understand since his head hurt from the whole thing._

 _He was brought back in reality when he was roughly placed on a chair, his handcuffs off the wrists and something was placed before him. Even the mine collapsing wasn't enough to destroy the three Speedroids that would follow him literally everywhere since the day he created them._

 _"Where did you get this?" the guard demanded rather than asked._

 _"I-I.. I… made it…" despite being the hothead he was, he could only stutter when met with_ intimidating _appearance of the guy._

 _"You're lying. These details can only be done by years of practice." the man didn't believe him._

 _"It's true! My dad is…- was a blacksmith and taught me everything!" Yugo raised his voice which surprised many._

 _"Then prove it." the sympathetic guard threw_ bunch _of tools and scrap metal on the table along that he dragged next to the heating pot full of embers "What you create will decide what happens to you."_

 _Yugo didn't expect anything like this after all that happen and was really confused what they wanted, though as soon as one of them grabbed a whip, he quickly started working. In about two hours, the guards were the ones who were puzzled, staring at the tiny_ creation _that they doubted an experienced blacksmith could make, let alone a child._

…

 _"So why should I spend money on this dirty brat?"_

 _A nicely dressed man fixed his coat patched with dozens of gems while he stared at Yugo who despite more appropriate clothing still looked like a low-grade citizen compared to the guy. As he was still unable to stand, he was in guard's hands who held him more like a sack than an actual human being. His legs were tied between wooden planks that kept his broken legs in place, a cheap way to treat his injuries and still allowing him to use his arms._

 _"Sir, you've seen what he's capable of doing at such a young age, just think how much better he can become after years." the nice guard explained "Just think, the experienced workers in New Neo Domino are paid a lot and the average ones don't have the right skills."_

 _"I know and I'm still wondering what kind of difference it makes if the brat works for me? You said it yourself he's too broken to work in the mines."_

 _"You only need to cover his living necessities and due to the_ injuries _he'll be unable to cause trouble. By the time they'll heal up, I'm sure he'll learn to listen to every word."_

 _The guards went on haggling for the best price and in the_ end _Yugo was sold to that man. Just like that he was put on the leash like a dog and carried into a luxurious carriage pulled by horses. The town where they arrived_ to _, after several hours, was unfamiliar to him as it was much larger than his own hometown with way more people everywhere he looked. But there was one major difference that he kept on noticing._

 _Beggars, people in rags and merchants selling cheap goods – they were everywhere. Yugo remembered some of them back home whenever he would visit city center with his parents, but never so many of them. It appeared as there were more of the poor folk than average citizens and even that was putting the situation lightly. Whoever didn't look like they were on poverty line was dressed in lavish clothing and acted as sophisticated as the man who bought him. It was like the society was largely divided between those who had money and the ones who didn't._

 _"Get the brat to the back of the shop." the man ordered to the older person who appeared to be his servant once the carriage stopped "Walk him through the working process and the rules. I'll come to check his progress in the evening."_

 _Yugo was so left alone with a servant who carried him through narrow streets until finding the doors that he unlocked with a key. In_ fact _he unlocked many doors and other security measures until they reached what appeared to be a working space. The place looked awfully similar to his father's workshop, the sturdy table and tools neatly placed on the shelves, the materials gathered in the small boxes and the fire place. The familiarity of the room nearly made him tear up, thinking about all the times when his father would show him how to mold the metals into neatly made objects._

 _"I have no idea why mister Kotsu picked you, but here's the drill." the man who carried him placed him on a chair high enough for his size. The leash was secured to the chair just in case he would get any ideas though with legs completely tied up and broken, it was close to impossible he'd try to run away._

 _It turned out that Yugo's new owner, mister Kotsu was a very wealthy owner of the line of jewelry stores that have recently spread throughout the rich cities such as New Neo Domino. The servant named Chojiro was actually one of the workers, but due to his old age, his finished products started lacking in quality so mister Kotsu went on looking for his replacement and as he was a cheapskate, he was ready to go as far as buying a kid slave if it meant saving up. Yugo wasn't really sure if he could make extravagant looking jewelry and accessories that Chojiro showed to him, but he did his best to at least make it look as close to the ones that were sold in the store._

 _As promised, mister Kotsu was back by the evening, examining a bracelet with tiny gems that Yugo worked on for hours. The man looked_ over _it from many different angles, tested it sturdiness and closely analyzed the details with_ magnifying _glass. After nearly an hour, he was finally done and approved of Yugo's work._

 _"You still need it perfected. Chojiro will show you how for the next few months until he retires."_

 _And that's how that one year at Kotsu jewelry went. The old man continued to teach him the art of jewelry making, guiding him through every step until the pieces look perfect enough to be sold. There were some other workers as well, but they mostly ignore Yugo as he was_ on _the lowest working scheme. His legs were somehow healing and even though Chojiro was paid to only help him with his living necessities, like bringing him food, teaching him crafting and move him around, he also carefully treated his broken legs whenever he could with home remedies. As they were broken_ on _many places they healed with a snail's speed and even Yugo's high tolerance to the pain couldn't mask the pain whenever he moved his legs. Whenever he was lying on a simple bed in the storage, the boy barely slept since the slightest negligent movement would jerk him awake._

 _Each time Chojiro noticed Yugo gritting his teeth when trying to move on his own, the old man could only pat his head and told him that he doesn't need to cover up his pain, that it was only natural if he was hurting. Despite his words, Yugo never wanted to show his weakness as he knew well that the moment he gives into the pity, the strength that got him through so far will fade. So with no complains, the boy continued to follow the routine of repetitive banging of the hammer, careful molding of precious metals and arranging the gems on_ different _type of jewelry. His tiny fingers helped him a whole lot since many jewelers struggled with tweeters to accomplish the same thing._

 _Just like mister Kotsu said, Chojiro left after few months. Yugo was grateful for everything that the old guy did for him, especially treating his legs that were already well enough for him to support him while he moved around with walking sticks. Just in case, a tight chain was put on his collar, the one that he couldn't break even with all the tools in the workshop (still he tried to remove it many times, risking the burns with corroded iron, cuts from the saw and bruisers from the hammer)._

 _With Chojiro gone, someone else started taking care of him and surprisingly a girl around his age. She had shoulder-length black hair, red eyes and much darker skin than he did, though after all the time he spent in mines, his skin was paler with practically anyone in comparison. Yugo tried talking with her many times, but the girl ignored him each time, only leaving him food, materials or whatever else she was tasked to do._

 _Yugo soon found out that she was actually the daughter of his master, so it was understandable that due to her status as the heir to the wealthy chain of stores, she avoided talking with a mere slave like him. As the talkative kid as he was, he missed someone to talk to such as Chojiro that would tell him about New Neo Domino or the art of jewelry making. As much as Yugo wanted to bring up his times in mines or the whole problem about divided society, Chojiro didn't allow him to since it was a rather taboo subject in this kingdom. The boy was so forced to keep all the memories about mines to himself and keep up a polite smile when talking to his master, despite holding onto the something that was most likely dug out by children like him._

 _His only comfort_ were _Speedroids. By some_ miracle _they survived the collapse of the mine (at least the objects that spirits were possessing) and hid nearby once the guards dug him out of_ rubble _. When they were spotted by the guards they remained completely still until Yugo got them back. They understood that for now working in the jewelry store was the best option for the boy to properly heal up before they could plan another escape. While Speedroids couldn't really talk, they were good listeners at least, easing up Yugo's mind whenever he was alone._

 _"Why are you talking to yourself?" was the first thing that the girl said to him after more than a month of seeing him "And don't tell me you don't, I can clearly hear you through doors."_

 _Yugo was a bit startled by her sudden demand one morning when she brought him food (not that you could call a small bowl of cold tasteless stew a proper meal, but at least it was better from what he got in the mines). The girl never really showed interest in anything about him, so he just assumed she didn't care about his weird behavior._

 _"Cuz I like to talk I guess?" Yugo tried playing dumb but she was not having it._

 _"Don't give me that! I saw you talking with that weird cube."_

 _"You mean dice?"_

 _"Yes, what's the deal with it?"_

 _It's been so long since he talked with anyone who would reply back, especially someone who would be interested in Speedroids as his creation. Mister Kotsu would only care about the jewelry pieces he was ordered to make, not even once allowing him to create something that he wanted. He really wanted to talk with this girl about them, but if his master would find out…_

 _"I can tell you, but you'll have to keep it as a secret and… tell me your name." Yugo tried to sound confident though his body betrayed him since he started shaking nervously._

 _"Why would I tell my name to a mere slave?" she instantly crossed her arms, her crimson red eyes glaring at her._

 _"Fine, then I won't tell_ you. _" Yugo smirked as he hobbled away with his walking sticks to go pick up some materials._

 _"Wait…" the girl instantly changed her mind "I'll tell you okay… just promise you'll keep this secret too, alright?"_

 _Turned out, her name was Masumi and the reason why she was so interested in his Speedroids was_ because she _also had a connection with tiny spirits that seek human-made objects to possess, but unlike_ Yugo _she wasn't that skilled at tinkering. While Masumi attended apprenticeship under one of the best jewelers in town, she was afraid to ask him if she could learn how to make an object for spirits. Yugo didn't need to be asked twice as he simply set another chair to the table, so she could see how to pour your heart and soul into crafts._

 _Impressively, Masumi was a fast learned and quickly picked on Yugo's teaching as she decided to create doll-shaped objects rather than toy shaped ones. She also included gems from her personal collection, giving them as much of personal touch as possible. Their little tinkering lessons had to be kept_ secret _so Masumi had to keep on making believable excuses to spend more time with Yugo. In the end, after nearly a month of work, she finally finished her first project, consisting of two doll-like items that she named Lapis and Lazuli._

 _"When will I know if the spirits accepted them?" she stared at her unmoving creations._

 _"You will eventually, Speedroids needed more than a year to acknowledge the dices." Yugo put away the finished items "And you better keep them hidden. Some find them evil."_

 _"I know… and I want to thank you for all of your help… uhmmm."_

 _"It's Y-"_

 _"Don't! The slaves aren't supposed to have their own names! Only numbers or impersonal names given by their masters." Masumi interrupted him before he could finish "I'm sorry… I just don't want to get you in trouble. It's how things work here."_

 _"Then what if you give me a new name? The one only you will know?"_

 _"I'm not your master… but if we keep it a secret as well, then maybe it could work." Masumi started thinking as she watched Yugo working on another piece of jewelry. While mister Kotsu's store mostly used precious gemstones, they would sometimes use cheaper ones as well, such_ a pearls _and crystals._

 _Such as the one Yugo was polishing at the current moment. The cheap gem that was a mere crystal, was illuminating the more it was polished, the light from the lamps reflecting its pretty shine all over the table. Then Masumi saw it for the first time up close – Yugo's beautiful sky blue eyes that sparkled just like the crystal. As a seller in training, she knew well how low its price was compared to others and yet it was still so beautiful._

 _"What about Crystal?" she suggested, bringing Yugo's smile right up._

 _"Sounds good to me." he grinned back._

…

 _Nearly a year has passed since he was brought here, working with rare metals and gems he never thought he would. His father would sometimes bring small amounts of it for special orders and that was about it. Yugo could only work with tiny scraps of rubies that he would end up placing them in the dices to look more aesthetically pleasingly. Here he would get to craft extravagant jewelry and challenge himself with new orders…_

 _… and yet he didn't feel like he belonged here at all._

 _True, he had a bed to sleep in, food to ear and by now even a supposed friend, but the tight collar around his neck attached to a chain kept on reminding him of a cage he was living in. Not even once he was allowed to go out of the workshop. He could never see the people who bought the jewelry he made, something he was always looking forward whenever he accompanied his father to the city center where they would sell it together. No one called him by his name, making him nearly forget it each passing day. Sometimes when his work wasn't perfected, mister Kotsu or whoever came to collect the finished products, would pull his chain, nearly suffocate him or even burn his side with_ corroded _iron._

 _The message was clear – no matter how hard he would work, he was still a slave to everyone. His life had no value and if it wasn't for_ shortage _of workers, mister Kotsu would probably replace him with another skillful slave or cheap worker. He meant nothing besides being a working pair of hands. Masumi might've eased his days in the last few months, but even he wasn't sure if she really cared about him as much as the friends he made in his hometown._

 _By this_ point _he was only waiting for his legs to get well again so he could run away again. With the limited amount of maps and information of the nearby towns, he was able to sort out where he could go. With a messed up hierarchy, Neo Neo Domino or any other nearby town was out of the question and from what Masumi told him, the area around his hometown was wrecked by similar attacks, like the one that killed his family. That left another nearby kingdom, but according to the chats between other_ workers _a plague was ravaging its people. The only place he could run was a kingdom across the ocean that hasn't been affected by any of those disasters just yet. To get there he would need to sneak on the ship and make sure he is never found._

 _For_ now _that was a plan and he really needed to make sure it will work… because if he'd screw up… then he'd be killed for sure._

 _But that was a risk he was willing to take._

 _…_

 _"I should let you know, that there's another huge chunk of memory missing…" Ray informed Zarc while he watched Yugo plan his escape "…so a lot of his actions might seem out of place."_

 _Zarc nodded and only held Yugo's sleeping form closer to himself._

 _…_

 _"Rose badge?" Masumi's eyes widened when Yugo gave her one of his newest creations._

 _"You said you liked flowers, right? I had no idea which one to make so I went on with rose. Hope it's okay, I only did lily before."_

 _"But you shouldn't use the gems that way, dad forbids it!"_

 _"Actually I made it from scrap metal and chips of damaged rubies and emeralds. This is more or less junk."_

 _"But it's so beautiful… I doubt anyone could tell it's made out of junk. I bet you could trick all the rich snobs into buying them for a fortune."_

 _"Yeah but I don't plan on doing that…" Yugo limped towards the box where he kept his modest clothing "And I hope you'll be alright once I-"_

 _"No! Don't tell me you were actually serious about running away!" Masumi covered her mouth in realization of what the boy, she came to know for, was planning on doing "Please it's too risky! If you escape now and you're captured, you'll be sent back to the mines for good! You're safe here and you can make jewelry here, isn't that what you want?"_

 _"It is nice here, but I want… my freedom more." Yugo reached for the collar around his neck "I might get to eat a good food, sleep in a warm bed and get to work with gems… but I'm still a slave. Your father will never see me as more than a kid he bought…"_

 _"B-but… it's a suicide! If they throw you overboard you'll be lucky to die from the fall!"_

 _"I know but this is something I must do-"_

 _"And why now?! Your legs still haven't healed! Can't you wait a little longer?"_

 _"I'm sorry, I can't tell you." Yugo brought out a small bag that was usually used for materials "But can you take the badge as a reminder? If anyone asks, you had no idea about me escaping."_

 _"Crystal…" Masumi wanted to say more, but rather kept her mouth shut especially once she saw just how serious Yugo really was._

 _She didn't know his story or what he has been through and yet deep down she knew that despite the safe place, Yugo could barely breathe here. He wanted out, just like a bird that has been behind the bars of a golden cage for too long._

 _Then the memories quickly skipped to him running towards the ships at the dock of New Neo Domino. There were two ships still loading the goods for trade, perfect for sneaking on. But those weren't the ones that Yugo was running to._

 _His target was another one, much bigger that was just about to set off. Yugo ran, ignoring his still not healed up legs, practically hearing them cracking again, but he didn't care. As fast as he could, he jumped, grabbing onto the rope that hung from the deck. By some miracle no one noticed him and as he began to climb up, hope filled his eyes._

 _He could do this, he could get on!_

 _But just then, a ship made a sharp turn. Yugo_ hold _onto that rope with everything he had, even once he started slipping off. He tried to hold onto the deck, any place that he could_ grabbed _, but by now his adrenaline that kept him going so far started lacking._

 _"No, no! I'm so close!"_

 _At_ last _he couldn't hold on anymore. His fingers slipped right thorough wax coated ropes before falling into the cold ocean water._

 _"Wings… if only I had wings to fly…"_

…

Zarc tried to see what happened next, but for some reason all the memories that were supposed to follow, were sealed.

"You don't need to see the ones that follow." Ray said while placing Yugo underneath the covers "I can tell you instead. It's quite exhausting for a child like him to go through such magic."

"How did he…" Zarc questioned, still not believing the pain and bravery of a child that refused to be imprisoned.

"He was later found at the shore by the sailors. At first they thought he was just a random kid, but as soon as they noticed the collar, they knew he was a slave and instantly sent him back to the slave traders. Due to the fall he again lost majority of his memories, so for a while he didn't try to escape at all." she sighed, trying to keep the painful details from Zarc "But then soon after arriving at the new mine, he appeared to be triggered by something and like before he did everything to escape. Though this time he was a lot more violent at it, not taking any of the kids into consideration. He kept on fighting until-"

"He was fixed?" Zarc remembered Yusei's words.

"Yes… the memory was buried deep down and I only got a glance of it…" Ray visibly shook as she was about to say it "I've only seen it a couple of times… but from what the memory showed, I believe Yugo's been through Carding."

"Carding? You don't mean…"

"You know it by different names, like Mind Crush, Divine or Numbering and in that area it is known as Carding – the ritual done by a mage who can literally take everything from a human being. Including a free will."

Zarc just had enough of it as his wings angrily sprouted from his back full of fury and if it weren't for Ray, he'd probably set off to the human world and burn down whoever did this to the poor child. It wasn't enough that they enslaved him when he was only five. It wasn't enough that his legs were broken. It wasn't enough that they locked him in a cage… no they had to take his own free will as well.

Restoring his memories was one thing… but returning his stolen free will? Zarc wasn't even sure if that was possible. For Aki, he only needed to block the memories of that cult that brainwashed her until she was old enough to understand, but Yugo… the boy has been through so much.

"If his will is back, so will his soul. Without it, he's stuck like this." the priestess gently removed locks from Yugo's eyes "The one who did this to him even went as far as damaging his eyes. It will require a long term healing and even for that I'm not so sure if it will work."

The Dragon King was still in his raging mode and for the sake of Yugo he tried hard not to lose it. The child has been through enough and didn't need to see him at his worst. What he needed right now was precise care and love that he never got enough of during those five years of torture.

"I'll take care of you Crystal, I promise to bring your soul back."

…

What followed were long months of waiting and hoping that Yugo would recover. There were tiny bits of Yugo getting interested in other things besides Zarc's dragon form and Stardust Dragon who would come to visit, but due to his partial blindness it was hard for him to be aware of his surroundings. Zarc let both Yuya and Yuri interact with him, under a strict supervision of course since he didn't want to trigger his fears. Yuya would try talking with him or read him from the books he's been recently interested in. The odd-eyed boy would also bring Entermates to him who performed before him, though Yugo wasn't able to pick anything else but the sounds and blurry images before him. From what Zarc could tell, his sight was like looking underwater, extremely blurry with really dark shades of colors.

Yuri also tried talking with him, bringing him flowers that he could smell and try. Yugo showed tiny bit of interest whenever he would have lilies before him, but quickly lost interest as he returned to staring in the distance. The purple haired boy had hard time holding himself back whenever he had an urge to ask him about the time before he was five and as much as Yuri tried to remember, he could never see what has been going on with his life in his early childhood.

Ray stayed with him whenever she could, as her healing magic took care of all the injuries that he had collected in the last five years. Slowly, but gently, his scars began to fade and with a proper diet he has been slowly gaining a weight that he should have for his age. As a traveling priestess didn't required her to be present in human world at all times, Ray was able to stay longer, watching over Yugo so Zarc could spend some quality time with his other two wards.

Even when Yugo wasn't with them, Yuya and Yuri wouldn't stop asking about him. "Can I play with him again? Can I show him my garden? Can we have dinner together?" were their constant questions. Even though Yugo never replied to their constant questioning, Yuya and Yuri were still looking forward to spend time with him.

Whenever Zarc was with him, he'd transform into his dragon form, letting the child on his back and take him on the flights. At first he was quiet, just enjoying the wind and fresh air that he had been deprived of during his time as a slave and after a month, he'd start saying basic words as a response to his surroundings. Zarc encouraged every single little achievement and even started calling him Crystal once he started responding to the nickname. Yugo also got used to sleeping alone, so by the second and third month, Zarc no longer needed to stay by his side, though he still would from time to time, just in case.

…but Yugo still didn't get his soul back.

Like a puppet he would stare into distance, unable to see anything even when deep down the tiny fragment of his remaining soul was screaming to get out.

…

Yuya couldn't sleep. Despite recovering from so many fears ever since he started living with Zarc, lightning was still something he feared greatly. It reminded him of times when he was cooped up in that tiny cage, when he was all alone under the tattered tent that did nothing to protect from the freezing wind. Whenever the lightning would strike, entire tent cast shadows of the objects that were stored there, the creepy silhouettes preventing him from sleeping. What was even worse was that on stormy days, the circus leader was always in the bad mood due to lesser visitors which meant less money.

And whenever he was angry he would open the cage, drag him out and beat him up until…

The boy clenched his eyes shut, trying hard to forget the abuse he suffered. He needed someone, just someone to hug him and affirm to him that man won't ever hurt him again. This would usually be Yuri, but the pink haired boy was outright exhausted from the previous day when he helped out at the nearby village. Weeding, planting the new flowers and digging drained him up completely and Yuya certainly didn't want to trouble him with his own problems.

As quietly as he could, he managed to crawl out of his bed in order to look for his Haoryuu. Yuya would jump and fidget at every lightning that cast more creepy shadows on the hallways. Despite the illuminating crystals, it was still dark enough to give him the creeps. Now where Zarc could be? Either at the throne room or his personal quarters. Yuya knew directions to both, but due to the lightning strikes, he ran to the nearest curtains or pillar to hide, causing him to mix up the directions several times until he no longer knew where he was.

The walls looked familiar when the windows were completely different from the ones he remembered. The doors looked unfamiliar too and before he could decide where to go, another particularly loud lightning sent shivers all over his body. Yuya couldn't take it anymore!

He ran in the room closest to him, slipping under the massive bed until the sets of thunders would stop. Gripping onto the sheets hanging from the bed, Yuya could grit his teeth and wait for the lightning to stop. After what felt like hours but was really just several minutes, the odd-eyed boy plucked up enough courage to finally crawl from underneath the bed since the storm seemed to calm down a bit.

All of a sudden Yuya was surprised by a sudden appearance of a face right in front of him. At first the boy thought he was staring into his own reflection, though sooner or later he figured out it was probably just Yuri. Even months later, he'd still sometimes forget that there's another lookalike living with him.

Though it wasn't Yuri facing him. Somehow, Yuya wandered all the way to Yugo's room that was on entirely different part of the castle. Zarc didn't want them to be this close ever since Yuya one time napped next to Yugo, and the blond haired boy just then got a seizure and it triggered Yuya to have a panic attack too. But as they faced each other, both puzzled of what the other was doing, it felt completely different.

Yugo's eyes were just about to be healed which helped him see the silhouettes of people and objects, though the colors still confused him from time to time. Even now he wasn't sure what those two giant blobs of red and green were before him.

Then slowly his mind started going through memories, the most recent ones that he made with these new strangers that seemed like they really cared about him and eventually he started seeing memories for which he wasn't entirely sure if they were his. They all seem so distant and yet so familiar.

 _"Can you help me put this earring on?"_

 _"Leave them alone! I'll fight you!"_

 _"They're still alive, I know they are!"_

 _"Just hold on a bit longer, I'll get to you!"_

 _"A circus is coming into town and it will have some weird kid with differently colored eyes."_

 _"I have to go… he will be on that ship."_

 _"Please don't go… not now that I've found you! Wings, if only I'd had wings to get you out of there! I want wings! Don't leave me behind!"_

 _"I have to get out, I must to! Yuya needs me!"_

 _"Yuya, Yuya, YUYA!"_

"Yuya!" Yugo screamed, the echoes filling the room, which made Yuya's eyes go wide.

Yugo grabbed his head, shaking as the more and more images filled his head, remembering bits and bits of things he thought he had long forgotten. His hometown, his parents, the workshop, the mines and… Yuya. He saw the boy with mismatched eyes before, the one whose eyes made him special for the circus where he was performing. Yugo didn't know why he was so desperate to get Yuya out of the circus if he never met him before. He remembered Masumi bringing him commissions to design several jewelry pieces with emeralds and rubies for nobles who were fascinated by some dual colored circus kid and when he saw the detailed drawing of him, Yugo remembered the familiar feeling of something snapping in him. The exactly same one that he felt before going crazy at the last mine.

The never-ending questioning only made him scream more, twisting and turning on the bed while trying to figure out just who was he. There were way too many loose ends to be fixed and he had no idea how to get, except for yelling, all of his bottled emotions out.

But then Yuya hugged him tight over his screaming fit and just like that his arms automatically hugged the odd-eyed boy back.

Why, why did he know that boy? Was it because his face looked like just like his? Did he see the kids that he was unable to save from the mines in him? Just what made him risk anything just to get him off that ship?

"Yuya…" Yugo hugged his lookalike tighter as the tears started running down his cheeks.

"I'm here…" Yuya couldn't respond any differently than that "Are you okay?"

"Yuya…" the other boy repeated as the more tears fell "You're here… you're okay…"

Yuya didn't understand what was going on, but right then it didn't matter. Yugo finally spoke back to him and returned all the affection that the odd-eyed boy has been giving him for the past few months. It felt so warm, warmer than any blanket in that castle. Just the two of them sharing their body warmth to comfort each other.

"Oi, where did you run off to?" Yuya glanced at the opened doors where Yuri stood, completely out of breath "Don't just walk out of the bed."

"Yugo is okay!" the odd-eyed boy shouted, happy for his lookalike.

No later than now did Yuri notice Yugo acting on his own, that his eyes were no longer empty, but filled with brilliant sky blue color, just like the wings of a familiar dragon. One part of Yuri wanted to question him immediately of why he had the same face as them while other part simply wanted to embrace him tightly. Just why did the lookalike felt so familiar to him all of a sudden?

"We can finally all play together!" Yuya couldn't help but keep on hugging Yugo.

"It doesn't make sense… how did Yuugou-" Yuri thought out loud.

"It's Yugo, not Fusion you grinning bastard!" Yugo suddenly grabbed Yuri's collar in anger and instantly released it right away.

Yugo covered his mouth in confusion when Yuya felt like he was in this situation before, when he was trying to calm the two of them down. Even Yuri looked puzzled and yet he strangely felt satisfied after teasing his lookalike with a different pronunciation of his name. Did he do that before?

"Are you alright?!" Zarc appeared out of nowhere in his own pajamas with a worry written all over his face "I heard screaming!"

"It's fine… Yuya and Yuri are with me." Yugo smiled for the first time as he hugged them both.

As touching as the scene was, Zarc couldn't help but wonder just what happened to bring, Yugo's soul back. How did he suddenly know how to talk?

And better yet – how did he know Yuya's and Yuri's names? Whenever he was around he'd only refer to them by their nicknames. And how he knew who was who? Yugo was embracing the two lookalikes like they knew each other for their whole lives. It was a perfect chance to restore the memories that were still missing in Yugo, but with all of them happily living in the moment, Zarc concluded it could freely wait until the next time.

For now, he crunched down and embraced all three of his wards, the three boys whose own kind forsaken them snuggling into the touch of a mighty Dragon King who swore to protect them. All was well, the pieces were finally getting together.

"Welcome to the family Crystal." Zarc mumbled as he pressed a good night peck on Yugo's forehead "You, Firefly and Lily are all brothers now."

…

It was several weeks later when Yusei dropped by. The general was pleasantly surprised when the child who used to be as frail as a doll was now beaming with energy as he and Yuya tried to outrun the Entermates in some sort of track match. Yuri couldn't care less since it was already summer and all of the new flowers that he planted needed to be watered, though he would secretly glanced at the duo that resembled each other in so many ways. An airhead like Yuya truly needed another airhead friend for whenever Yuri needed some time alone so everyone was happy.

Even Ray supported the new family as she too joined their fun, by cheering for them, all while talking with Zarc and Yusei who watched the whole play before them.

"I'm glad to see Yugo is doing much better. You and Ray really helped him out, more than I did…"

"Nonsense Yusei, you too took care of him well, especially those first weeks which were probably the hardest. I simply took over and learnt from your experience." Zarc smiled and patted the general's shoulders in support "You can heal others' pain; make sure to always remember that."

Yusei returned the smile as he watched Yugo and Yuya play with Stardust Dragon's tail while Yuri was busy trimming the new flowers on the garden. The child who used to only see darkness was now happy and his eyes full of life that was stolen from him. Now he had a family, a home and most importunately, a childhood that he deserved. His job was truly done now and he was glad that child for whom he was so afraid if he'll even survive or not, was completely different person now.

"I better get going, Crow had discovered another human facility where children and spirits are experimented on. We have to make a plan and rescue them in time." Yusei nudged to his dragon that it was time to go "Though he warned us that villagers refer to it as the Lost Incident. It surely sounds ominous and some even reported seeing a dragon that looks a lot like Stardust."

"I wish you the best of luck Yusei." Zarc ruffled his head, just like when Yusei was little.

"And if you do come across another broken soul, never fear for their recovery. Even if the free will is taken, the tiny fragment is always hidden deep down to bring it back." Ray added.

The general grinned at priestess's wise words and soon he was back in the air, Yugo waving him like crazy from below. Even now, the kid could never get enough of Stardust's wings, he going as far as flapping in order to imitate the beautiful dragon. His memory was still a mess, but with Yuya and Yuri he no longer cared about it. He didn't need it to be happy and even Yuri eventually figured out the same thing himself.

Just like the nice lady told him, the past didn't matter when the bright future awaited them.

Everything was alright.

But their story was far from over as there was someone who had all the answers and loose ends to tie.

…

The summer was closely fading into cold autumn as Zarc wandered through the entrance hall, figuring out how to organize his growing paperwork again. He just got an idea how, when the main doors suddenly opened with a loud creak.

"Astral? Yuma?" Zarc recognized the joined form of the generals "What brings you here?"

Zexal was still out of breath, but wouldn't let go of something wrapped in their own cape. Once Zarc got closer to see what it was, he hardly believed his own eyes.

The fourth one… a boy with a face just like Yuri's, Yuya's and Yugo's.

"We found him near the ruins of the Heartland." Astral talked through their joined form "He was still conscious when we approached him and he wasn't in a good shape. We offered him help, but he refused to take it."

"Even once Astral pointed out all of his injuries, he still wouldn't listen!" Yuma did the talking this time "He just… he just wouldn't stop walking towards Heartland! He was clearly exhausted and yet he kept on going!"

"We tried to take him wherever he was so set on going, but before he could say it where, he passed out." Astral continued once Yuma could no longer talk through Zexal "Heartland was still full of bandits and due to the ongoing conflicts between Astrals and Barians we couldn't really take him to XYZ domain in order to heal him up, so your castle was the best other option."

"Healing Ward is preoccupied so let's take him to one of the guest rooms. I'll have Xiangsheng Magician examine him." Zarc stated once he remembered that Yuya and Yugo were recovering from a cold in there "How are his vitals?"

"He'll live, but he's completely drained of his energy, has old injuries and probably suffers from mental scars as well." Astral replied through Zexal who carried the boy towards the room.

"Another victim with the same face… just what is going on?" the Dragon King mumbled to himself, quiet enough not to be heard.

As soon as the boy was placed on the bed, Astral and Yuma reverted back into their original forms as the helped remove the clothing so the boy could be looked over. His body was wrapped in so many layers of rags, to keep him warm and to act as the bandages to so many old wounds. The red scarf around his head hid the wild raven and lavender bangs that were spiked all over. The tattered cape came off next, revealing his skinny and yet still a rather muscular form. Zarc really questioned what the kid has been doing to become so sturdy at such a young age.

Xiangsheng Magician came soon after, starting with examination while Zarc went all folding all of the boy's clothes. The clothing had holes and was dirty, but he'd rather ask for his permission before throwing them away. From what he knew, they could have a sentimental value or something.

Then he noticed a tiny bag slipping off the tattered jacket that he just placed on the pile of clothes. Compared to the rest of the clothes, the leather bag was in the best condition of them all, not having a single scratch.

With the curiosity getting the best of him, Zarc carefully undid the rope that kept it closed and slowly brought out the items that were in it:

A blue crystal attached to the rope like a pendant.

A purple badge, shaped like a lily.

A simple earring with a tiny blue crystal.

And a small blade that seemed like it fought many battles but was still in a good condition.

The boy must've treasured them a lot as they all were neatly taken care of with not as much as the scratch on them. In fact once he talked with Yuma and Astral about it, the boy held onto the bag like it mattered more than his life. Like the items was the only thing that made him go forward.

"Why do all of these feel so familiar?" Zarc questioned himself as he looked at the boy's unconscious face.

* * *

And another Yu-boy is safe in sound in the arms of his dragon dad. I found this chapter especially hard to write since I really wanted to be accurate in the means of representing medieval life and how the slavery was handled. I think the most inspiration came from the fact that Synchro had an underground factory where people were forced to work as slaves plus the whole Crash Town Arc (which is one of my favorites, right behind Dark Signers arc) in 5Ds. If anyone is wondering, yes the twins are no longer kids in this, they're the same age as Yusei was in anime.

If anyone wonders, yes the yu-boys are connected in some way, but in what kind of it, you'll see in the last chapter (after it, it's only an epilogue and maybe a mini-chapter about Yusei rescuing kids from Lost Incident ;) )

Preview for the next chapter: in the ruins of XYZ domain in human world wonders the boy who seeks something, but cannot find it. Zarc hears his story as he remembers the wartimes, of loyal spirits and the lives that were lost that day.


	5. The Boy Who Rebels in the Dark

I can't believe it... IT'S FINALLY DONE!

I can't possibly describe how difficult it was since I've been writing this chapter since summer, changed the story at least six times and kept rereading the previous chapters to make sure it was coherent enough. I wanted to include as many ideas I had in the story as possible so again it got way longer than expected, not to mention I got some many comments of how you couldn't wait to see Yuto's story so I especially wanted to make it the best of them all.

Enough about my rambling (you can see the rest in the endnotes) so grab your box of tissues and get ready for the story of the last Yu-boy.

I hope our favorite emo boy gives you the story you deserve for all this waiting!

* * *

 _Gripping a small blade in his hands, well hidden under his long sleeves, Yuto held onto it like life depended on it. He only had one shot at this and should it work, he'll win and survive. Lose and he will die. But if he won't try he won't be able to win at all._

 _Taking a deep breath, he crawled from underneath his bed. He was scared, so very scared for his own life, but should he do nothing, he'll surely be a goner. The five year old boy sneaked closer towards the hallway leading to the kitchen and dining room. It wasn't the first time he was doing this, though unlike before his goal wasn't to snatch that_ _last_ _piece of dried meat or leftover pie. No, this time the goal was much more dangerous to achieve._

 _"_ _Did you find anything?"_

 _"_ _Nah, they must keep the money somewhere else. Take some of those kitchen knives, they look well-made, enough to be traded."_

 _"_ _Check the rest of the house, there must be something valuable in here."_

 _Two tall men scattered the house for anything worth money. Yuto heard them break the lock on the front doors, the two of them letting themselves in. He heard drawers and cupboards being opened, the chests being searched and items being thrown. There was no doubt about it – those two men were thieves, bandits who only cared about their own well-being._

 _Yuto who was napping in his room at the time quickly hid underneath his bed, scared that the thieves might steal him as well. His father would tell him stories about awful people who_ _take children like him and sell them to others like objects. Yuto wasn't sure if those two were like slave traders since they went after the valuable objects and money rather than him. But then again those two thieves were sure no one was home since everyone was out at Heartland's Carnival, one of the biggest events so it made sense that they would choose this kind of a time to rob empty houses. His parents were at the event while he stayed behind due to a stomachache._

 _It was around the midday when the sound of a broken lock woke him up. He knew those weren't his family since his father would always loudly announce they were home. What he heard were only unknown voices and tiptoeing around the hallway. Carefully, Yuto reached for a tiny shut door under his bed, bringing out a small blade. It was a gift from his father when his four year old self exclaimed he wanted to become a knight once he grows up. That small blade, adorned with a precious material known as obsidian along with a single amethyst was there, waiting to be used. So far Yuto didn't have a reason to use it, apart from helping his father at the hunt, but that didn't mean he had no idea how to._

 _He practiced whenever he could, even secretly visiting their old neighbor who used to be knight. Yuto got this, he'll defend his home._

 _By now he already reached the kitchen where one of the thieves was going through the drawers, taking anything worth money and throwing anything considered worthless on the floor. Yuto nearly lost it when the thief broke his mother's favorite dinning set. Once beautifully painted plates full of flower patterns were now lying on the ground in pieces. He had to stop them before they destroy more of his home._

 _As innocently and with confusion written all over his face, Yuto walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes like he just woke up._

 _"Mom? Dad?" Yuto pretended to yawn._

 _"A kid? You told me everyone will be at the Carnival!" one of the thieves whispered angrily._

 _"Relax, what can the little runt do? Kids are stupid." the other man replied back and stepped closer to Yuto "Hey how are you? We're your parents' friends and they've asked us to take some of their things to them. Do you want to come along?"_

 _Yuto was instantly alarmed by this. They were just pretending and trying to get him come with them willingly, so they would have less trouble snatching him as well. The boy hardly hid how scared he was, but he knew that he could no longer go back. He had to play pretend as well._

 _"Can I just have an apple?" Yuto asked with the same innocent tone "I'm hungry."_

 _The two thieves looked at each other and in unspoken manner agreed to play along. So one man accompanied him to the pantry, where all the food was stored, while the other one went to scavenge the closet in a hallway._

 _Yuto kept his hands behind his back, hiding the blade in one of his longer sleeves, careful not to cut himself. While the thief started looking for apples in the pantry, the boy quietly closed the door. He stalled by mumbling of how he wasn't sure if he should have green or red apple when really he was secretly pulling the blade out of its small sheath._

 _He waited for that moment when the man would be distracted from taking an apple from the top shelf, and without hesitation stabbed him into his leg._

 _If Yuto knew one thing was that he should always aim for the legs. The thief was hit by a surprise when he realized that the five year old child that they considered stupid was in fact pretty smart. Yuto stabbed him in a right calf and therefore predicted right that the man would instantly lean down to grab his injured limb. The boy used the opportunity to get behind his back and as strong as he could, hit him with the blade's handle. The thief colapsessed on the floor unconscious and Yuto was really glad that he listened to that neighbor's advice. He was surprised that such simple technique was that effective and noted to himself to properly thank him once he sees him again._

 _Yuto reached for the rope his mother used for tying up the vegetables and tied the thief up. Now he had to take care of the other one too. He grabbed the broom and went to hide underneath the sink, a tiny place where he would hide so many times when playing hide and seek. But this time he wasn't waiting for a chance to run to the specific spot and shout safe! . No, he had to take care of the other guy as well._

 _Soon enough the other thief started calling out for his partner. And since there was no reply, the man walked towards the pantry, looking for him. Yuto tightened the grip on the broom's handle, ready for one more hit. The thief curiously opened the pantry's door and before he could gasp from surprise, broom's handle already got him. He fell right onto his partner and Yuto restrained him as well._

 _Once the two thieves were safely locked in the pantry, Yuto quickly put on his coat and headed towards the doors. He had to tell his parents or at least his neighbor so the authorities could properly arrest them. The blade was safely tucked in the sheath on his belt in case he would need it again._

 _But when he opened the doors, he saw something that only his nightmares could show him._

 _His hometown, Heartland, was in flames._

 _And then someone grabbed him from behind._

* * *

"No!" Yuto yelled as he woke up, gasping from reliving the memory he wanted to forget.

The lavender haired boy shook and felt cold sweat dripping down his body. Not again... why was he seeing it again? The flames, the blood, the destruction... and more bandits coming to get him.

"Hey take it easy!" Yuto heard someone say from somewhere near.

"It's alright. You're safe here." another familiar voice said.

Yuto slowly turned on his right, seeing the same two people he met in his former hometown next to him. Well one person and one spirit.

"Wh...where am I!?" Yuto nervously looked around the extravagant guest room "Did you kidnap me?!"

"Goodness no, we simply took you to our friend's place after you collapsed." Yuma shook his head.

"You were in a very bad state." Astral explained "It's thanks to our friend that you're more stable now. How did you get all of those injuries?"

Yuto was silent, gripping the edges of the blanket covering him. Should he run? He fainted and those two brought him to the place he failed to recognize. They could easily take advantage of his injured state, but they were merely talking with him, not laying a single finger on him. Still wherever he currently was made him feel uncomfortable for some reason and he wanted to get away as soon as possible. But judging from the size of a simple guest room he could've only imagined just how big the entire building was, big enough for him to get lost and fainting due to exhaustion again. So he decided to play along.

"Old injuries..." he muttered, still feeling dizzy from the nightmare.

"But how did you get them?" Yuma asked with a hint of suspicion.

"You have cuts caused by swords, burn scars, old fractures and tons of other similar injuries. Those are all common for battle injuries." Astral analyzed, making even Yuto surprised by its observation.

"But you're just a kid! Who forced you to fight?!" Yuma shook from disbelief.

"I-I..." Yuto stuttered, not sure how much he can tell them. The duo seemed odd, but kind and caring, though the boy was a bit hesitant to reveal more since he still didn't know them that well along with that friend that they kept mentioning.

He was about to vaguely reply on their question when all of a sudden he realized a really important thing. His bag was missing! The only reminder of his old home was nowhere in sight. Only now did Yuto notice that he was stripped of his own clothes, wearing an oversized shirt serving as a nightgown. He was also cleaner than before, meaning he was probably given a sponge bath while he slept and judging from a taste in his mouth he was fed something too. Were all of those nice things just a cover up for taking his bag?

"Where is it?! Where is it?!" he shouted, looking around in despair and anger.

"Easy! Our friend has it." Yuma tried to calm him down, all to no avail "He's on the way back to give it back to you."

But Yuto was much too anxious and angry all while shouting to actually hear him. Yuto's mind was full of worry and a single thought of something happening to the items in his bag was enough to make him get up from the bed. Astral tried to hold him back while Yuma sent Baby Tiragon to urge Zarc to hurry up.

Luckily the Dragon King responded immediately, using teleportation to get back in the room right away. Yuto kicked and tried to wiggle out of Astral's arms, but the moment his eyes found the precious bag in hands of a silver haired man, he calmed down. Zarc instantly crunched down and returned him the small bag.

"I apologize for taking it from you without permission." Zarc said while Yuto was too busy untangling the rope that kept the bag together.

His tiny fingers dug through the layers of leather until the four items were back. A single pendant with a blue crystal, a badge shaped like a lily, an earring and a single blade in dark coloured sheath. All those items might've seem random, but to Yuto they were more important than his own life. Scooping all of them together in his arms, Yuto pressed them against his chest like they were living creatures. He was so glad the items weren't stolen, because if they were... Yuto wouldn't know what to do with himself.

"I'm sorry I took it." Zarc gently rubbed his back "I only wished to learn more about you."

"I-It's... a-all I-I have left..." Yuto started sobbing, not caring if those people saw him so miserable.

Yuto wouldn't let go of the items, even once exhaustion got the best of him and he started losing consciousness. Zarc carefully laid him back, with a soft pillow safely tucked underneath his head and the objects placed on the nightstand, so they would be the first thing that the boy sees once he wakes up.

"Is he alright?" Yuma worriedly glanced at the boy.

"He has a slight fever, probably due to all the stress." Zarc's hand began to glow in white light, enhanced by the ice spell that he used to cool him down a bit "I'll have Xiansheng Magician use some of the sleeping magic on him. He clearly overworked himself and needs some good rest."

The two generals nodded and once Yuto was put into even deeper sleep, they followed Zarc to the room across the hall. Like with all of his previous meetings with generals, the Dragon King had them sit down around the low table with cups full of steaming tea, just like they always did when he would be discussing spirit world domains and human world. Out of all generals, the duo also known as Zexal were by far the oddest combination since Yuma was the youngest among Zarc's generals while Astral was the oldest.

"You said you found him in the ruins of Heartland..." Zarc started "Did you manage to ask him for his name? Or what he was doing there?"

"No one has been permanently living in Heartland ever since it was attacked by extremists from other domains. It's full of bandits and rouge spirits now." Yuma shook his head "But for some reason he wanted to go there."

"We told him it's too dangerous and that we can help him with whatever he needed, but he refused." Astral added "In fact he didn't want to tell us anything about himself."

Zarc thought about the items again, how he searched for any memories that might've been attached to them. Sometimes even inanimate objects could store memories in case its owner had a strong personal connection to them. The Dragon King only got few flashes of Heartland, back before it was destroyed, meaning only one thing

"He used to live there... that's why he was there." Zarc said.

"I get that..." Yuma sighed "But it's been nearly seven years since Heartland was burnt to the ground, meaning the kid must've been at least five back then. How can someone this young survive all on his own?"

"You did." Zarc pointed to the general who only looked down.

"But I had Astral! The boy most likely had no one and according to Astral he also fought many battles in his short life."

"The poor child must've had a really close connection with his hometown if he was willing to walk in there despite the danger." Zarc walked towards the window that had a view on the grass fields, place where he has been playing with his little wards only days ago "There's one thing that spirits and humans have in common and that is having a deep connection of places where they once belonged."

Zarc then turned to Yuma who was still baffled by the boy he and Astral saved, but once his crimson eyes were met with Dragon King's stern look he thought back. When he was in his home village, surrounded by the houses' debris. Yuma remembered how he just walked aimlessly into no certain direction until he noticed Astral's ghostly appearance next to him who asked him the most basic questions about human world. The four year old boy answered them all and just continued to walk until he collapsed and if it weren't for Zarc who heard Astral's calls for help he would've joined his dead family right away. But he survived.

"I've heard from Atem and Yugi that you've taken in three human children who have also been through a lot… and are now much safer with you." Yuma continued, his hands clenched tight "But I'm not sure if you can help him… The first time I saw his expression I could tell that he… h-he no longer had anything to live for. Just like when I did on the day that Barians destroyed my home."

"Oh Yuma…" Zarc stepped closer and before he knew it, he was embracing his general, who was in early twenties, just like when he was still a scared little boy "Astrals raised you to think better than that."

Yuma sniffed a bit, thought he felt a lot better after that hug. Zarc just knew how to comfort those who needed it, at least he used to before the war took his caring nature away from him. Judai was right when he said that Zarc needed someone to take care of and from the looks of it, the human children that he welcomed to call as his own managed to fill the man's empty heart. But could he really help a boy that no longer had his childhood innocence within since the cruel world had robbed him of it?

"Come with me. I want to show you something." Zarc said, nudging the two generals to follow him.

Yuma was a bit surprised by such response from his king, but went after him right away. It's been years since he's been to other parts of Zarc's castle other than the throne room. Compared to Astrals' many buildings connected by underground tunnels, the castle felt like a one huge labyrinth. Still Yuma somehow remembered the way to the Healing Ward, the room he's been to so many times during the first years after the war when they had so many injured spirits to take care of. But why take them there? Neither him nor Astral were injured so for what other reason would they go there. The answer literally jumped in Zarc's arms the second they got in.

"Haoryuu!" a blue haired child threw his tiny arms around him "Come see what I've made!"

"I would love to Crystal, but I would be even gladder if you weren't out of bed just yet." Zarc said, making Yugo blush from embarrassment "You're still sick from your little adventure with Firefly."

The boy reluctantly got back in bed that had tons of small wreckage parts and tools everywhere, including the nightstand. His Speedroids were casually floating around him, curios what he'll put together next. Yuya on the other hand was nicely tucked in his bed, reading a more difficult book with Yuri who explained the complicated phrases that he didn't quite understand. But once he noticed Zarc, he happily waved to him.

"Haoryuu!" Yuya shouted at the same time as Yuri.

"It's nice to see that Lily is helping you learn about plants." Zarc gently ruffled Yuya's head.

"Yeah! I found out that there's a flower also called Haoryuu! It looks so pretty!" the odd eyed boy raised the book in order to show the picture of the red coloured flower.

While Yuya was too busy showing Zarc pictures in the book, Yuri curiously pointed his eyes at another general and a spirit accompanied by him. Yuma gave him a slight wave with his hand to which the pink haired child only stared, Astral observing the whole thing with an interest.

"Yuya, Yuri and Yugo, meet Yuma and Astral." Zarc said once Yuya and Yugo noticed the visitors.

The three kids all responded in their own ways, with Yuya smiling, Yuri giving a shy hand wave while Yugo looked like he was ready to give them a hug.

"Are you Haoryuu's friends?" Yuya asked excitedly.

"Do you have a dragon spirit?" Yugo looked around like expecting another Stardust somewhere.

"Do you know any magic?" Yuri observed Astral's floating body.

Yuma was rather surprised to say at least. According to Yugi and Atem, those children have been through unimaginable cruelty by humans, but they acted like they were completely unaffected by it just like normal kids. Yuri was dragging books off the nightstand, Yuya asked more questions and Yugo nudged the tiny spirits in toy-like structures to get closer in order to show off his crafting skills. Yuma honestly didn't know how to respond to all of this and for once he wished Astral could do all the talking. But just like him, the spirit was too busy analysing everything to say anything.

"Well ehhh… I don't have a dragon like Signers, but I do have this guy." the XYZ ruler put his hands together, gathering magic until a small tiger cub-like spirit appeared in his arms "Say hello to Baby Tiragon!"

"It's so fuzzy!" Yuya exclaimed and the spirit happily floated to the odd eyed child, nuzzling its fluffy fur against his face.

"Hey my Speedroids are better!" Yugo pouted but instantly put on his happy face when Yuma picked one of the unfinished Speedroids.

"Did you make all of these yourself?"

"Mr. Timegazer helped me a bit, but yeah I made them all!" the boy grabbed more tools "Can you help me with the next one?"

While Yuma went through the box with various metal parts, Astral followed Yuri to another bed where he had more books. Unlike Yuya and Yugo, the pink haired boy appeared to be more intellectual and quiet compared to other two. Still he had that childish excitement written all over his face whenever Astral would tell him more about magic and plant spirits from his travels.

"May I ask why you are all here? I'm sure His Majesty has more than enough rooms for all of you." Astral asked, looking for any signs of injuries or illnesses on Yuri.

"Yuya and Yugo went swimming in a pond but wouldn't get out until I called Haoryuu. They both got a cold and are now recovering." Yuri sighed while watching Yuya petting Baby Tiragon "It's boring without them, so I keep them company."

Astral smiled, Yuri's situation reminding him quite well on his own with Yuma. True that his companion was much less obnoxious now that he was all grown up, but even when he was younger Astral could hardly imagine his life without Yuma. Even before he learned that the boy was born from the piece of his soul that he had lost during the battle with Don Thousand years ago, Astral treasured Yuma greatly as his irreplaceable partner. Yuri must've felt the same about his lookalikes too since he watched them with the corner of his eyes and immediately rushed to Yuya when the odd eyed boy started to cough.

Despite being all lively, Yuya and Yugo were in beds for a reason and soon enough the exhaustion got the best of them. They managed to stay awake enough to gulp down their medicine and as soon as Dragon King tucked them in they were asleep. The Gazers appeared in the room, helping with putting away the books and Yugo's little workshop so they could rest more comfortably. Yuma didn't see a reason for calling Baby Tiragon back to him as he had no heart to separate him from Yuya with whom was the spirit currently snuggling. Speedroids also nestled underneath Yugo's bed, making their machinery parts quieter in order to not disturb the child's sleep. Yuri on the other hand dragged the chair between both beds, opening the book he'd been previously reading with Yuya to keep himself busy, though Zarc could tell that Yuri was whispering what he was reading to both Yuya and Yugo. The Gazers also set themselves near the beds, letting Zarc know that they have situation under control.

The Dragon King quietly led generals outside, towards the room where the fourth child was resting. Both Yuma and Astral were still surprised to see the human kids so happy and wrapped up in their childhood innocence. Were those really the same children the other generals told them about? The ones who were forsaken by their own kind? Like Zarc heard their thoughts, he turned towards them slowly, speaking in rather monotone manner.

"Would you believe me if I told you that Yuya would get panic attacks and was afraid of being touched when Yugi and Atem found him? Or that Yuri wanted to commit suicide before Judai and Johan took him to me? Or that Yugo had barely any piece of his soul left when Yusei brought him?" Zarc said, making the generals gasp in shock "It takes time for a traumatized child to heal, but is not impossible."

"It's just… so unbelievable…" Yuma couldn't hide the respect he held for the Dragon King "For them to heal up like nothing happened."

"You did an amazing job Your Highness." Astral bowed right there and then "Those children are lucky to have you as their guardian."

"Your words mean a lot… though I'm afraid that the scars they bear will never truly go away." Zarc stared through the window, at the day slowly turning into night and some dark clouds gathering in the distance "Yuya still gets night terrors and can't be left alone at night. Yuri sometimes still thinks he doesn't deserve to live. And Yugo? He might not show it, but his legs and eyes still hinder him from playing."

"But you've given them back their stolen childhood." Yuma exclaimed "It might not be perfect, but you gave them what they needed the most – the second chance."

"I'm certain you can do the same for that other boy." Astral added, agreeing with his partner.

Zarc smiled, knowing his generals had faith in him while he still wasn't convinced yet that he had what it took to heal the boy.

Because when he replayed those memories caught in the boy's treasured items those flashing images of pain and misery made see his own memories of the war so long ago. The spirits and people dying, the terrified faces of his young generals back then and destruction wherever war was.

And he was the one to cause the destruction.

Just what has this boy been through to see what even an adult knight shouldn't? Why travel to all of those places just to return back to his hometown again? Zarc didn't know. He'll have to do a lot of asking and from what he could tell the boy was a lot like Yuri, considering how he refused help and how independent he appeared to be. This won't be easy since the boy was likely not easily trusting like Yuya or helpless like Yugo.

No, that boy has seen enough hell to know how to tend to himself and not needing help from anyone. What he needed to do was to assure him that he won't betray his trust and help him see the situation he was in. Zarc knew without the doubt that the boy knew how to survive, but no matter how strong or smart he was, he was still a twelve year old child with war scars.

They were getting close to that guest room when Yuma noticed Xiangsheng Magician on the hallway with panic and worry written all over her face.

"What's wrong? Is everything alright with the boy?" Zarc asked in equally worried tone.

"Your Majesty… I-I…I'm sorry, but the child escaped…" the female spirit uttered, making everyone gasp from the shock "I didn't manage to cast the sleeping spell on him since his dreams seemed so troubled that preventing him from waking up could've hurt him mentally in case he would suffer from a night terror. I watched over him while he rested, but when I went to retrieve some food for when he would wake up and when I came back, I swear I was gone for only ten seconds using teleporting magic, the boy was gone."

"How long has it been?" Zarc quickly notified all other available spirits.

"About ten minutes, but if he could escape so fast, there's no telling where he could've gone." Xiangsheng Magician shook, knowing she disappointed her Dragon King "I'm so sorry, if only I put him under the sleeping spell like you ordered me…

"We'll find him and please do not blame yourself." Zarc patted her shoulder "You did the right thing by not casting that spell on him. I never considered that the spell could harm him."

Xiangsheng nodded and rushed to gather more spirits to help them search for the boy. They needed to find him fast since the boy was barely in stable condition and the cold weather outside could worsen it. Yuma and Astral merged into Zexal, hurrying up outside while Zarc told other spirits how the boy looked like and how to approach him. The last thing the Dragon King wanted was to make the poor child feel like a hunted animal.

Zarc partially transformed into dragon, flying into the opposite direction that Zexal went. Xiangsheng Magician had no idea how the boy escaped nor were there any signs of it. The boy was good and was most likely trained how to do it by someone who was experienced in such skills, a thief or maybe even a knight. Still, no child should be forced to live like this and Zarc was determined to prove to him that he deserves better.

The Dragon King flew through the grass fields, a forest, anywhere he felt bits of the child's aura. It was faint due to how little of it the boy still had, but it was there. He continued to follow it until he was stopped in his tracks by something he hasn't seen for nearly ten years…

* * *

Yuto had no idea where he was nor he knew where he was going. He couldn't trust that human and spirits, he just couldn't. His life taught him that he should never let his guard down since every act of kindness given to him so far was just a mask for gaining his trust and betray him the next second. He did just that and look what happened – those strangers got their hands on his treasured items! The only thing that reminded him of his home. They could sweet-talk him as much as they wanted, but he won't be fooled again.

His body hurt and he was freezing. The oversized shirt wasn't exactly a good source of warmth and the fact that he was bare footed didn't help at all. No matter, he'll find better clothing as soon as he finds an abandoned village. Heartland's outskirts had lots of them and majority of them still had useful things. Though come to think of it, where he was exactly? The scenery didn't appear familiar to him, though then again it's been years since he's been to Heartland's outskirts. For now he needed to find a shelter to hide since he had a feeling those spirits were after him. Though why would they put so much effort into finding him? He remembered his father telling him about spirits, that while majority of them were good, there were the ones who resented humans for what they did to them in the past. His father had even told him about a friend he had, the one that befriended spirits and hung out with them on several occasions and Yuto remembered about his excited four-year self who wished to meet that friend. But then his father sadly told him that his friend was no longer among living and what was even worse – it was the spirits who took his life.

While Yuto was neutral about spirits, he was still careful around them. To him they were just like people – some were good, some were bad and majority of them were just alright. Though what his training taught him, he shouldn't make conclusions fast. That's why he decided to run away the moment that female spirit left the room. He wanted to trust them, he really did. They could've left him wounded and vulnerable near Heartland, place known to be populated by bandits, but they didn't. Instead they brought him to a nice place, fed him and even washed him.

But they took the only possession he had and no act of kindness could overrate it. The items had priceless sentimental value and numerous times he protected them at the cost of his own life. He chased the thief that stole them from him all the way to another kingdom. He jumped into freezing water and climbed mountains. He even dirtied his blade crimson red to get them back. They were his only reason to keep moving.

And now? He didn't know what will keep him going once he returns to Heartland. Will he go back to people who taught him everything he knew? Will he continue the path he'd been following so far? He didn't know. The only thing he knew was that he had to get to Heartland.

Though which way was Heartland?

It was already too dark to see the distant mountain area that he had used so far to orientate himself or the salty smell of the sea nearby. He failed to spot both these markers and instead only picked on endless grass fields and occasional chunks of forests with the strong smell of the autumn. In a way it felt nostalgic to him, reminding him of his early childhood when he would help picking pumpkins, when he would go collect chestnuts and nibbled on roasted sweet potato after raking the fallen leaves…

A tear slipped down his cheek, the happy memories of his younger days still so fresh in his mind. How could've this happened? How could've it taken only a single day to steal all of this away from him? How could all he ever had shrunk down to a single bag?

Yuto didn't know.

The past had shackled him down, but he had refused to be bound by it for seven years. But now? He felt like the chains of the past finally caught up to him, coiling around his heart until it would break once more. And he couldn't bear to go through the same pain again.

His train of thought was all of a sudden interrupted by blinking lights from the forest nearby. A cottage perhaps? Or even a village? Abandoned or not, it was something. Yuto's walk quickly turned into a jog, his bare feet running on the last drops of his energy. Even if there were people, the boy was sure he could find a shed or some other shelter to survive the night and then figure out where to turn to get to Heartland.

Except it wasn't the house that illuminated the night forest. Yuto needed to rub his eyes and ask himself if the exhaustion made him hallucinations, because what he saw up close wasn't even remotely resembling a manmade building.

What was before him were four huge trees with glowing leaves and fruits, each of them gleaming in different colors. One had emerald green leaves and red fruits. The other one looked like a combination of a thorn bush and a willow, glowing in fuchsia color with many smaller orange fruits. Then there was a tree that was entirely white with crystal clear leaves sparkling like diamonds in the moon light. And lastly, there was a purple and black tree with silver leaves whose edges looked as sharp as steel. That last tree gave Yuto the creeps for some reason. Not because of how different it looked form other trees, but the sole fact that it existed.

It just felt… off. Like it wasn't supposed to be there and neither was he. In fact the whole area consisting of different smaller trees and bushes gave off an eerie vibe like they were alive. Like the creepy feeling wasn't enough, the wind started blowing, howling like a wounded animal. And not just that.

Yuto started hearing voices.

 _"_ _Please… it hurts…"_

 _"_ _You cowards!"_

 _"_ _It will take more than this to break me!"_

 _"_ _I can't bear to lose you…"_

 _"_ _Is this really how it ends?"_

 _"_ _You humans have no honor or heart!"_

At first it was only a couple of them, but then more and more joined, adding terror on top of the terror. And there weren't only voices. There were screams, whimpers and incoherent sentences uttered out in agony. Yuto covered his ears, a poor attempt to make it stop and they only became louder. The boy tried to crawl away, to hide, anything to get away from this scary place. But he couldn't. His limbs were numb from the cold and any energy he still had was used to keep him conscious. He was trapped, too paralyzed from fear and exhaustion to escape it.

All of a sudden, someone took him in their arms, carrying him away from the voices and the forest. Yuto who was going in and out of consciousness saw the glowing lights of the trees further and further until they were just a distant flickering in the dark. Whoever took him was now laying him down on a soft blanket and preceded to wrap him in a second one. Then the person's hand touched his chest and Yuto felt like he was sunk into a warm bath, the cozy feeling reaching every inch of his body. After more than seven years he felt truly relaxed for the first time.

At that point Yuto no longer cared, any comfort was welcome even if it had a price. His rigid fingers clung to his bag like it was going to be taken from him any moment. If someone is planning to take it, they'd have to pry it out of his cold dead hands.

"It's okay, I'm not taking your bag. I know it's important to you." the person said, making Yuto think they're lying when that person took something out of his pocket as well "I have something like this too."

A single golden amulet-like pendant swung before Yuto's eyes. It actually reminded him of the crystal pendant in his bag, one of his treasured items. It swayed just the same and as he watched it, he could still hear the one sentence that echoed in his mind whenever he looked at the pendant.

 _"_ _The more you give, more comes back to you."_

Whatever kept on his stern and serious look so far was gone – he couldn't hold it back anymore. Tears poured out of his eyes, raining down emotions he's been hiding underneath the mask of a strong young knight. Deep down he really was just a child still hurting from the horrors in the past, yearning for the warmth of his family home. He had enough.

The person scooped him up in their arms again, pressing him close to his chest. Yuto continued to cry, not caring if the years of training had taught him to never show weakness to anyone. And never in seven years did he dare to reveal his true self to anyone. He covered his face with a mask and kept his eyes narrowed down. But this place, this warmth, this feeling, it felt real and he desperately needed it.

"You don't need to fight anymore. It's alright." the person cooed "You're safe."

"W-who are you?" Yuto asked, his voice shaking from the sobbing.

The person smiled and in a blink of a light, his appearance changed and a glowing spirit appeared next to them. Only now that there was some source of light from the spirit could Yuto recognize the same person and his spirit companion that found him at Heartland.

"My name is Yuma and this is Astral." Yuma replied while fixing the edges of the blankets "We never got a chance to introduce ourselves."

"I-I'm sorry…" Yuto looked away, a bit embarrassed from their jumpy meeting "I shouldn't lash on you like that."

"Your reaction was completely understandable." Astral added.

"For now let's just get you back inside before you get pneumonia." the XYZ ruler secured his hold on the child "We can talk later, okay?"

Yuto gave a slight nod and let the general carry him. He hated being weak. Hated being unable to take care of himself. Hated being so lost about everything. And here he was, wrapped up in blankets like a helpless baby in the arms of stranger. His inner voice yelled to get away, to pry himself out of those hands and to run to Heartland. But he couldn't… he no longer had the strength to pick himself up and follow his instincts.

He could only watch how Yuma merged with Astral into some sort of a warrior with wings and flew back to the castle from where he escaped not so long ago. A small spirit looking like a black dot with a rainbow wing appeared next to them and disappeared soon after. There were other spirits there too, though none of them paid them much attention. Yuma transformed back, gently carrying Yuto back to the same room he was before. Someone must've changed the sheets and lay a change of clothing for him on the bed. Without a protest, Yuto switched the dirty oversized shirt he has worn so far with grey pajamas which surprisingly fitted him well and they smelled somewhat familiar. There was also a plate with food, still warm like it has been brought there only minutes ago. Yuto's rumbling stomach was too loud for him to even consider that the food could've been poisoned and before he knew it the bowl with meaty stew was empty.

The whole time Yuma sat with him on the other edge of the bed, closely watching over him like Yuto would faint any second, all while Astral floated by the doors, talking with spirits that came by.

"You gave us quite a fright when you suddenly left the room." Yuma said which made Yuto gulp down his mug of warm milk a little too fast.

"I'm sorry… I-I… just didn't feel safe…" the boy replied.

"You don't need to apologize." the general patted his shoulder "I did the same thing."

"What do you mean?" Yuto blinked in confusion.

"Let me show you." Yuma smiled and gently took Yuto's hand in his.

For a second there was nothing and the next one, the boy saw another, much less extravagant room and the same silver haired man from before. The man was sitting on bed, comforting a child that didn't look older than five and Astral was simply floating next to the bed, looking the same as ever.

 _"_ _It's okay, you're safe now. Barians can't get to you here and Astrals are already on their way."_

 _"_ _Mom… dad… sis... granny…" the child sobbed "They all left…"_

 _"_ _That is unfortunately true… and I'm sad to tell you that no matter how long you look for them, you'll never find them…"_

 _"_ _But… what if I didn't look hard enough?" the boy stood up, already running towards the doors with Astral not far behind "What if I look some more?"_

 _"_ _Yuma…" the man stood up "They are gone… they can no longer be found."_

 _"_ _No, no, no! You're lying! I'm going to find them!" the child yelled, shutting the doors behind him._

The vision ended and Yuto hardly believed that the general before him and the child are the same person.

"When I was little, a spirit kind known as Barians attacked my village. My father locked me in the basement that was protected by Astral magic and by the time it opened everything was destroyed. I was lost and only had the Emperor Key that my father left me to guide me. Astral appeared shortly after, but it was Zarc who truly help me recover." Yuma sighed, remembering those painful memories "Just like you, I didn't trust Zarc at first. He was a spirit, just like the beings that killed my family. I didn't believe a single word he said and escaped many times. But he was patient with me and let me run away until I finally realized that it was hopeless."

"Why are you telling me this?" Yuto asked even though he knew the answer.

"Because I want you to trust him too. He can help you."

"Help… me?" the boy clenched his treasured bag while holding back tears "How… can he…?"

"You're lost, but you are still moving forward." Yuma playfully ruffled Yuto's bangs "That's admirable. Though where are you so set on going? Heartland? Your hometown?"

"How did you…?"

"I thought as much, but what are you planning to do once you get there? No one lives there permanently anymore, only bandits. Will you just travel until you collapse from exhaustion and hope someone puts you out of your misery? Is that it?" the general hardly talked without shaking in anger "Did you go through all of this trouble just to die alone in a place you once called home?"

Yuto listened with eyes wide open, swallowing each and every word that Yuma said. He didn't want to admit it… but the general was right. True he refused to give up, true he continued to move forward and true he refused to die. But for what reason? He used to have one and for seven years he gave everything he had to accomplish it and now he no longer had it. It was just like Yuma said… he sought death, but he had too much pride to die.

"What do you want me to do then?" Yuto said after long minutes of silence

"I want you to live. For your own sake and for Zarc's." Yuma said, looking him straight into his eyes.

* * *

He was back… back to the forest in which he hasn't been to for more than ten years. It still looked the same, just like the day he created this world so the spirits could be safe. But it was for the great cost.

The pictures of dying spirits was still so alive in his mind, some of them much more than any other. He remembered holding their hands, comforting them with his words and yet… he still couldn't save them…

" _It's alright… I've already come to the terms that my injuries are too great… I'm ready to leave this world…"_

 _"_ _No! Please don't make me do this! I won't be able to live with myself if I do this!"_

 _"_ _Everyone is gone Haoryuu… I'm the only one left… and I'm in pain…"_

 _"_ _No… I-I can't do this…"_

 _"_ _Please Haoryuu… it hurts…"_

 _"_ _No please d-don't…"_

The memories were coming back, the rage that made him answer the terror with terror. His wings and horns bursting out of his body that grew to colossal size, ready to burn down humanity's land until they begged him on their knees to stop. Even his generals didn't dare to come near him and the rest of the spirits could only watch how he wreaked havoc on the world.

The human kings eventually gave up and released all the spirits that they still held captive under the condition that he may never interfere with humans again. The war ended and Zarc gathered all the spirits who collected the magic they still had and with Ray's power he created a brand new world just for the spirits. Everyone felt relieved once the war was truly over and they had a safe home where they could start anew. Generals took care of the new world so their Dragon King could truly find peace after decades of living in the shadows and fear.

But he wasn't truly at peace. He felt guilty for every single life that was lost in that war, even the ones he took himself. The day he witnessed the shelter for injured and young spirits being torn apart and lives brutally slaughtered, he couldn't control his killing rage no more and without thinking he set off for his crusade.

How many human soldiers did he kill? How many innocent civilians did he kill? How many children were among the innocent lives he took? He didn't know. The blinding rage took over him completely.

But no matter what he did that day, nothing would bring the innocent lives back.

Not even once spirits helped him create this forest. A memorial for the refugee spirits that could never get to live in this paradise. A sacred land dedicated to the ones who fought for freedom.

And an endless reminder that he was too late to save _them._

The trees glowed just like _their_ eyes once did. In those rare moments during the war, when _they_ made sure no one was alone, cheered up everybody, listened to other spirits' stories or just be there for the ones that were weak and vulnerable. _They_ believed in Zarc, that he will find a way for the spirits and humans to coexist. _They_ never stopped believing in him, even when _their_ final breaths left _their_ dying bodies.

 _They_ were no warriors like his generals _. They_ were simply hatchlings too weak to join the battle, but still brave enough to protect others. Even Crimson Dragon himself admitted _they_ would grow into powerful spirits as strong as his own offsprings one day.

Except that day never came.

Zarc had no idea how the search of a human child led him to the place that reminded him of all that. He had avoided this place like a plague for the last 12 years. And here he was, remembering and listening to the last words of dying spirits.

"Zarc…" a voice called, sounding like it was distant despite being only few steps away.

"Ray?" the Dragon King turned away, his eyes red from the tears he didn't know he was shedding "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." the priestess sighed while pulling her coat tighter around herself "I've heard that your generals found another human child and thought you may need my help."

"The boy… he-"

"Escaped, I know. But don't worry, Yuma and Astral found him. Rainbow Kuriboh has just informed everyone around the castle."

Zarc felt like a great weight slipped off his shoulders. That was good, the child was in the good hands and he knew Yuma enough to know that the XYZ ruler had a thing for calming others down. If the boy was well enough he may finally ask him for his name and where did he get the items that looked so familiar to him. Zarc was all set on going back, to leave this forest of the past and make better future. But just before he spread his wings, Ray tugged onto his sleeve.

"I know why all four of them have the same face." she said, making Zarc stop in his tracks "But you'll only find out if you take that boy to where he wants to go – to Heartland."

* * *

Zarc didn't know the next day would turn out like this. He underneath the cloak and mask hiding his face, the Dragon King was walking towards the place where a high stone structure once stood, known as the Heart Tower. Next to him was another much smaller cloaked person, a boy whose name was Yuto. That was the very first word Yuto said to him when Zarc came to his room. The boy was quiet, but was willing to talk in cool and collected manner.

 _"_ _What happened on that day?"_

 _"_ _There were two thieves inside the house. I locked them in the pantry and went to get my parents… but I had no idea they were just hoodlums of a much more dangerous organization. They got me the second I got out…"_

 _"_ _How did you escape?" Yuma blurted his question._

 _"_ _I didn't. I was rescued." Yuto clenched his hands together "A neighbor that used to be a knight saw me being taken and managed to save me before they got too far. He also called for help and while they were able to rescue a few people, they still arrived when Heartland was already burning."_

 _"_ _Who is they?"_

 _"_ _Phantom Knights."_

 _"_ _I've heard about them." Yuma interjected "They are a group of knights and mages who are travelling around helping the ones in need."_

 _"_ _They couldn't do much for Heartland though. Majority of citizens were killed, gravely injured or taken as slaves. Only a few was lucky… unlike my parents." Yuto's hands shook "My father was brought to the temporary shelter where Phantom Knights brought the survivors. Two arrows pierced his body and even though the mages tried to heal him, he didn't make it. He could only tell me that he saw my mother being burnt beyond recognition."_

The whole time Yuto told his story, Zarc had an unbelievable urge to just pull the poor kid in a tight embrace, telling him that he doesn't need to keep up his stoic persona. The boy was convincingly as strong as he was and Zarc didn't need any further assurance to know that. What surprised him even more was what followed once the search for survivors ended and Phantom Knights helped relocating the remaining citizens.

 _"_ _They took us to various villages and little towns that would accept refugees. I was supposed to stay with a hunting family that was willing to take care of me. But I didn't want to stay." Yuto looked straight into Zarc's eyes, his own eyes burning with maturity "I wanted to be like Phantom Knights. I wanted to become stronger, to help others and to stop such disasters to happen ever again. They refused to make me into one of them, but I followed them until they finally agreed to teach me everything."_

 _"_ _How long did they train you?" Astral asked since Zarc and Yuma were too baffled by the fact that the five year old willingly joined such organization._

 _"_ _Until I was about ten. They wouldn't let me go solo before I was independent enough."_

 _"_ _But why would you travel on your own?" Yuma asked._

 _"_ _That… I can't tell…"_

The rest of the night Yuto told more about his years with Phantom Knights. About the harsh training and exhausting hours of close combat without a break. About holding the knife the right way. About how to fight the enemy. In only few years Yuto learned nearly as much as all of Zarc's generals did. But for what reason, the boy wouldn't tell other than the fact that he wanted to become stronger.

Yuma and Astral then excused themselves, saying they are going to check on something which left Yuto alone with Zarc. The two of them didn't know what to say to each other, since Ray's words echoed in Zarc's mind while Yuma's words did the same to Yuto. The Dragon King was more than curious how the four children were connected and the only explanation led him to Heartland. Yuto on the other hand wanted to trust Zarc, but years of repeating "trust no one" he hardly could. Even when Zarc suggested him to catch some shut-eye while he stays just to make sure he is there in case Yuto would suffer from another night terror, the boy couldn't do it.

Yuto didn't know how to sleep properly after all.

If it weren't for unconsciousness and night terrors, then Yuto would sleep like a preyed animal, always on the lookout for the danger. Considering Xiangshen's advice, Zarc didn't use any sleep spells, though he did use some of his magic to keep him warm. His fever worsened due to his attempt of running away, but somehow he got better before morning. Yuto got up, gratefully putting on a fresh pair of clothes, consisting of long forest green tunic, black pants and boots. Again the boy was surprised that the clothes were the perfect fit as well as Zarc was, despite knowing those clothes were actually Yuri's.

The day went on, just like any other, except Zarc spent it with the newest addition to the group of kids he was taking care of. Yuya, Yuri and Yugo were watched over by Gazers and XYZ rulers while Ray observed them from nearby. Zarc felt like he was following the day Yuri arrived except the colourful garden was empty of flowers and had fallen leaves instead.

The Dragon King couldn't help but see a big portion of Yuri in Yuto and not just because of their identical faces. From the manner of speech to the way they walked they looked so similar. When Zarc brought him to the balcony where Astrograph Sorcerer would usually observe the stars and tell him about constellations, Yuto would listen with the same curiosity Yugo did whenever someone would talk about crafting spirit vessels. And when Yuto spotted a fletching-like spirit that fell off the nest at the tree he didn't hesitate to carry it back, just like Yuya once did. The answers were all there, but to get them, Zarc needed to take Yuto to a very dangerous place and getting him there was the last thing he wanted. He only wished to show him the best of what the life could offer and return his lost childhood to him. But go back to Heartland? Place where Yuto wanted to go to die?

No, he couldn't do it. Not now that Yuto looked somewhat peaceful for the first time ever since Yuma and Astral brought him here. And yet deep down he felt like Yuto needed to go there. Not for the former reason, but to get some sort of closure. Yuri got it once Judai took him to Fusion domain in order to say a proper goodbye to Asuka. Perhaps Yuto needed to properly part with his parents who were most likely buried there.

"Yuto…" Zarc called, making the boy stop from observing "Do you still want to go back to Heartland?"

Yuto stared in the distance, avoiding Zarc's look though Dragon King knew well that the boy had difficulty stating his answer. The kid felt so lost at the moment, wanting to learn more about those spirits who wanted to help him out and to finish what he started. Even though he didn't have much plan at that point, it was still a plan he wanted to execute until the end and leaving it as it was left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Yes… I want to go back. But you'd probably won't let me. Not after what I-"

"I can take you there Yuto." Zarc said, making the boy's eyes go wide "But you'll have to promise me something."

"What?" Yuto asked and quickly corrected himself "I mean… what I need to promise you?"

"That you will tell me the rest of your story." the boy blinked in puzzlement "I know there's something that you don't want to tell me about yourself and I completely understand why. But if you keep it bottled up in your heart, I cannot assure you that you'll ever be able to move on."

"But… what if I want to go back to Phantom Knights? What if I don't want to stay here? What if I want to continue travel on my own? What if I don't want to move on?"

"Then I'll let you." Zarc said which surprised Yuto "You don't need to stay here if you feel trapped. I can help you find Phantom Knights or give you enough supplies for you to continue travelling on your own. I can even let you explore this world if you wish so. But I also want you to choose what you really wish to do. You might be only twelve, but you've come to know the harsh reality of life so you can make adult decisions."

The boy instantly reached for the sheath next to the bag where his small blade was, like he was asking it for advice. Did he really want to go back? He didn't know. He liked this place a lot, but he doubted he deserved to live here in peace. Not after what happened… not after letting _them_ down...

"Take me back to Heartland… I'll know what to choose once I'm there."

And here they were now, their appearances hidden underneath the cloaks and Yuto leading them towards the massive gravesite. Despite the city being overrun by bandits, the graveyard area appeared to be untouched. Bandits or not, they still had decency to leave the dead alone, or they just happened to be too scared to enter it. Yuto kept walking, nervously looking at the rubble that was once a busy street where his father would take him whenever the man needed a little bit of help at his stand where he was selling his handcrafted goods. Yuto was clenching his fists to calm himself down as he continued walking until they finally reached that place.

Heartland originally didn't have a graveyard since a lot of residents kept moving from one place to another or preferred to bury their loved ones near their houses, but after the attack there were so many bodies left that gravesite had to be built. Yuto could clearly remember how all survivors gathered the bodies and buried them in massive grave surrounded by pieces of stone buildings. He remembered seeing his father and mother covered by plain sheets being put there. His tears were threatening to spill right there and then, but he didn't want Phantom Knights to see him cry. Not then when he fully decided to become one of them. He didn't want to be seen as helpless child but as young knight willing to join their ranks.

Now he was here again and not much changed. No one dug there since it was well known that only bodies were buried there. Not a single tombstone or any other marker was there except for a piece of rubble from Heartland's Heart Tower with a chiselled memorial.

 _Here lie the victims lost in Heartland Incident, may their souls rest in peace._

Zarc observed the gravesite, how Yuto kneeled down facing a space on his straight left, the exact spot where his parents were buried.

"Can you leave me alone for a bit?" Yuto asked.

"I can, but how do I know you'll be alright on your own?" Zarc replied.

"I'll be back, I promise." the boy reached for his bag "I'll have a reason to come back to you."

Zarc took Yuto's bag in his hand with care and left him just like he was asked to. The Dragon King knew the boy needed time to clear his thoughts and decide on his own what he wanted. As much as Zarc wanted to be the one to help him out, it was clear that Yuto was an adult in his own way and this was something he couldn't help him with.

Though Dragon King didn't go far, just few streets away so Yuto could find him once he was done. Zarc didn't really ever have a chance to see human world like this. He'd been on the run and hiding ever since he was little for decades and didn't have a time to stop and experience the human world. While spirit world had a lot of similarities it was still entirely new to him. Despite all the destruction, Zarc could still sense the liveliness and harmony from the days Heartland was the center of trade and human culture. To think a single day turned it into this…

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by something in his pocket. It wasn't moving, making a sound or changing, but Zarc still sensed something was going on. Yuto's items were giving away a strong aura, probably responding to the location they were brought in. Ray was right about Heartland having the answers and just like before he looked into the memories that items possessed.

 _"_ _What should we do with the rest of the pumpkin? It would be bad to just throw it away."_

 _"_ _Told you, you shouldn't fill your basket with poisonous mushrooms! Now you have no space left for chestnuts!"_

 _"_ _Hey don't eat that sweet potato so fast! You'll… never mind."_

The last time Zarc only got flashing images of Heartland, but now he heard echoing voices that sounded so familiar to him, just like those items that Yuto carried around. He couldn't tell where this familiarity was originating from. It felt warm and snug, just like when he would read to Yuya, take care of flowers with Yuri or when he would help Yugo at his crafting. Was he meant to take care of all four children? Faith seemed to agree on this and hopefully Yuto will join the little family as well. Speaking of whom, Zarc decided to take a peak from the distance to see if the boy was alright. Quite a while has passed already, though Dragon King wanted to give him as much time as possible to decide.

But Yuto was no longer there.

Panic rose in Zarc, just like when Xiangsheng informed him of his disappearance the first time. With all strength possible he immediately looked for Yuto's aura and tiny fragments led him away from the graveyard. Why? He couldn't run away just like that. He has given him his treasured items after all, why would've he left them just like that? Unless… Unless he wanted to left them with someone who will be able to look after the items. No… he should never left him alone like that.

"Yuto!" Zarc yelled as loud as he could "Yuto where are you?!"

He followed the trail of Yuto's aura, getting closer and closer and hoping he wasn't too late. Not again, after he was too late to save _them_.

"So you think you could run away just like that?"

"One carding wasn't enough?"

"No matter how far you get, you cannot escape."

Zarc's dragon ears twitched, the voices originating very close to where the aura trail was leading him. The Dragon King hurried there right away and was shocked to be faced by the horror before him.

Yuto was sprawled on the ground, beaten and bruised while being continuously kicked by human soldiers who wore the armour common for Security knights from Synchro kingdom. One soldier that was particularly brutal just reached for Yuto's hair in order to slap him…

… and that was about as much as Zarc was going to watch.

With the speed that would rival even Crimson Dragon, Zarc passed the other soldiers in less than a second and grabbed that soldier by his neck.

"How dare you… HOW DARE YOU!" Zarc yelled, his horns and claws sprouting from his anger "How dare you lay your hand on a child!"

Other soldiers were terrified of the being that appeared out of nowhere, its eyes menacingly glowing at the sight and majority got on their feet to run away. But Zarc didn't let them. His dragon tail sprouted next, extending all the way to block them from escaping. The glowing neon green shards were more than enough to convince them to stay, though neither of them wanted to. Only that one soldier who was about to hurt Yuto seemed to either have enough guts or was just plain stupid to talk back.

"You… freaks have no… business here." the soldier uttered, somehow still able to talk despite Zarc's hold "By the law of… the Synchro Kingdom… you cannot interfere in human affairs…"

Zarc threw the soldier against the wall with such force that entire wall was shattered to pieces. Still it didn't appear like the man was convinced enough, having the same smug expression on his face.

"I know the law well." Zarc replied stepping closer and closer "Spirits and humans shall not cause further conflicts among each other. But no matter what, it doesn't give you a right to hurt my ward!"

"Your ward? Hate to break it to you, but the little runt is not a spirit."

"It doesn't matter!" the Dragon King roared so loud that remaining pieces of buildings crumbled down "Be it a spirit or a human, as long as he is under protection of spirits you have no right to hurt him! And if you love to abide by that law so much then you're obviously breaking it right now and for that you must be punished!"

If the previous threat didn't scare the soldiers, the one right now certainly did. The soldiers got away fast without a second thought. Just to let them know he was serious, Zarc threateningly waved with his dragon tail and hit the remains of the buildings so strong that the ground shook. The Dragon King would gladly give them a piece of his mind, but he was too worried about Yuto.

He quickly changed back, pulling the barely conscious child in his arms. The Security surely did a number on him, beating him up to a pulp. His lips were split, bruisers were forming on his face and numerous gashes stated that soldiers used more than just fists. Those bastards! He should've beaten them up when he had a chance. But how could they get Yuto? The kid was skilled enough to run away unnoticed and according to spirits who sparred with him he was good in close combat as well. What could've made him so vulnerable?

Zarc removed Yuto's cape to see if there were any other injuries when his eyes landed on small object projecting out of the boy's neck.

A poisoned dart.

The Dragon King recognized the poison as the one causing paralysis. So that's how low those bastards went… Not only that they grouped together to beat down a kid, they didn't even give him a chance to fight back. There was no doubt that once they noticed Yuto not paying attention that they used an opportunity to surround him and tranquilize him. Zarc's blood was close to boiling from anger, but a barely audible voice snapped him back in reality.

"I-I'm… s-sorry…" Yuto uttered in a whisper.

"No no, you have nothing to apologize for." Zarc gently brushed through the boy's hair "Let me take care of that poison and your injuries first, then we can-"

"N-no please…" Yuto raised his trembling hand "T-take me… back…"

"Are you sure? If you need more time to decide I won't push you." the Dragon King took Yuto's hand in his.

"I-I can't stay here…" Yuto buried his face in Zarc's cloak "I just c-can't…"

Zarc held the boy close to his chest, cooing sweet nothings until Yuto finally closed his eyes. Even though it was most likely from the poisoned dart, Zarc could tell that exhaustion got the best of the poor kid. Who could blame him though? For years he pushed himself until he finally couldn't take it anymore. He sought death to end it, but now Zarc was determined more than ever to help him live.

"I'll take care of you little Phantom knight." Zarc's pressed a loving peck on Yuto's forehead and just like that they were gone from the ruins of Heartland.

* * *

"So he decided to stay?" Ray asked once she was done treating the last gash on Yuto's body.

"Yeah…" Zarc sighed, gazing yet again upon the sleeping child in the bed.

Two years ago it was Yuya, then few months later it was Yuri and lastly it was Yugo. By now it almost felt like a pattern and it wouldn't be a surprise if another child with the same face showed up. But somehow Zarc knew Yuto was the last one. He just didn't know how to explain it yet.

"How are others doing?" Zarc asked to change the topic.

"Oh, they are having fun." the priestess smiled "Yuma and Astral told them about their adventures and now they are making plans for their own adventure one day. They even made a list of places they want to visit."

"I see… so are Yuma and Astral still here?"

"They left shortly before you returned. Something came up back in their domain."

"Could you watch over Yuto? I'm just going to say hi to them. I haven't seen them for the whole day."

"You know I will." Ray nodded with a grin and dragged a chair close to the bed.

Zarc slowly closed the door like he was scared that Yuto will be gone once he would be back. But he trusted Ray and knew well that even if the little Phantom knight would try to run away again, she'd bring him back. The priestess had that kind of a charm which helped her spreading her ideology of balance and harmony. It was hard for both spirits and humans not to love her and the children of both kinds would run to her instantly.

But what about him?

Did he truly deserve to be loved by Yuya, Yuri, Yugo and now Yuto? Was he even capable of taking care of them? He might've done a decent job in the last two years, but what would the future hold? Will he be able to continue taking care of them once they grow up? Would they want to go back to their world later on? And the thing he was afraid of the most was letting them down or even hurt them.

After what happened to _them_ made Zarc distrust himself for more than a decade.

He could still see _their_ dead unmoving bodies sprawled in front of the spirit shelter on that day. Despite the noise of the battle in the background, the world around him went silent and the only thing he could hear were his own gasps of shock. _They_ were dead. _Their_ bodies penetrated by poisoned spears and arrows, _their_ skins burnt from the silver water and couple of _them_ even missing limbs. Only one of _them_ was still alive, but the wounds were far too great for any chance of survival. In the end Zarc could only put an end to _his_ suffering.

How could these hands that hurt so many people and killed his own ward guarantee they'll take care of those four children? He never really gave it a thought before meeting Yuto. Why did a child of war reminded him of all of this? He didn't know, but he was sure it was a sign.

Before he knew it he was somehow in front of the kitchen's doors. It was actually a habit of his to wander through the castle until getting to the kitchen whenever he was worried about something. Normally Gazers or Xiangsheng Magician would bring him something warm to drink. At such situations however, he'd make something for himself since the whole process of preparing, making and having that mug of warm beverage helped to clear up his mind. So he took a seat at the small table in order to decide what to have when he felt something weighting down in his pocket.

Right… he still had Yuto's items.

The pendant with a blue crystal, badge in a shape of a lily, earring with a tiny gem and a single small blade. Zarc carefully arranged them on the table, staring on each and one of them like he was expecting them to answer on his numerous questions. Ray claimed Heartland was the answer and he nearly got it, but then Yuto got hurt. There was no way he'd take him back after what happened and hearing his plea to get him away from there. But he was so close to those answers…

"Haoryuu?"

Zarc looked up from the table, only now noticing that he wasn't alone in the room. Standing on a chair right next to the counter was Yuri who was reaching for something in the upper cupboard. From the looks of it Yuri was deep in his thoughts as well if he only noticed Zarc now too.

Since autumn brought a lot of rainy and cold weather it was quite difficult to stay outside for long, so Yuri focused more on growing herbs in pots all over the hallways where it was bright enough. His most recent hobby was coming up with different herb mixtures for tea, something he was in the middle of doing right now.

"Oh, hello Lilly." Zarc smiled despite his troubled thoughts "Coming up with a new tea flavor?"

"Not really." Yuri took a glass jar filled with dried herbs "I was going to make some tea for myself. Do you want a cup too?"

"Sounds like a good idea."

Yuri heated the water and pour it in two mugs full of herbs which he brought to the table. The boy was in his usual quiet mode though he appeared like he had something to say.

"How are Firefly and Crystal?" Zarc asked to start the conversation.

"They are sleeping right now. Got tired from all the playing this morning." Yuri took a slip of his tea "Where were you? Those two generals said you had some business in other domain to take care of."

"Yeah… you could say that."

"You didn't, didn't you?" Yuri said which made Zarc nearly choke on his tea. That kid sure had a sharp eye for everything.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because you were here the whole morning and midday. And Predaplants told me all the spirits were looking for someone yesterday." the boy then eyed the items on the table "There's one more of us, isn't it?"

Zarc nodded and knowing there was really nothing to prevent him from saying it, he told Yuri about Yuto. The whole time Yuri merely drank his tea and once the mug was empty he dangled it in his hands. Considering his reaction when Yugo was brought in it was rather strange that the boy was so calm about it. Despite knowing that Yuri accepted the fact that his past didn't matter, Zarc knew that from time to time, Yuri asked Yugo and Yuya about their pasts but neither could reply due to having no memories. Even Yuri tried to remember on his own, but it was like those memories were locked in the deepest part of his heart.

"Those things…" Yuri stared at the items, namely the lily badge.

"Yeah they are his. I should return them to him so he won't be worried once he wakes up." Zarc already set the bag.

"I'll help." the boy said as he picked the lily badge.

But he never managed to put it in the bag.

The moment he touched the badge it was like he was pulled into swirling whirlpool of images. Yuri stared at the scenes he failed to recognize and yet he felt like he'd seen them before. He kept falling and falling deeper until he was face to face with what he wished to learn for the past year.

"Lily!" Zarc shouted when Yuri dropped the badge and nearly fell off the chair "Yuri! What's wrong?"

His eyes were open, but blank and shifting like crazy. Yuri's body was trembling like he was having a seizure and if it weren't for Zarc holding him, the boy would probably hurt himself. The whole thing wouldn't end until long minutes later when Yuri's body gradually stopped shaking and his eyes slowly closed. Zarc thought that Yuri fainted, but twitching eyelids convinced him otherwise. Though what followed shocked him more.

Yuri was crying.

Since the day Yuri was brought in by Judai and Johan, the boy wouldn't shed a tear apart from the time he had the very first conversation with Zarc. Not at Asuka's grave, not when he would be getting nightmares about seeing her die and not even when he accidently broke his wrist while tree climbing with Yuya and Yugo, Yuri wouldn't cry.

Now he wasn't only crying, but outright bawling his eyes just like Yugo did when he regained his soul. But those weren't the tears of relief or joy.

They were full of pain.

For a second Zarc felt like he had Yuto in front of him instead of Yuri. Those eyes, so wide and terrified belonged to people who had seen what they shouldn't.

"I…I… was… th-there…" Yuri uttered through his sobs and whimpers.

"Where Lily?" Zarc held the child as tightly as he could.

"…H-Hea…rt… l-land…" Yuri cried as the memories rushed through his head which only made him hold onto his Haoryuu more.

"I-I… remember…"

* * *

Yuri was wrapped up in blankets, his face buried in Zarc's shoulder and his shaking hands holding onto the lily badge. The boy was neither awake nor unconscious, but something in between, constantly whispering and muttering incoherent sentences, all while quietly sobbing.

The moment Yuri said he remembered, Zarc wanted him to rest up and take it easy for a while, but Yuri had none of that. Even though his head felt like it was going to explode from all the memories, he insisted he was alright if that meant finally learning about who he was. Still Zarc was worried that Yuri might not be able to handle it, so he used his powers to at least soothe the pain while his ward would go through all the memories from his early childhood. Before taking a hold of the badge which was apparently a trigger for his memories, Yuri told Zarc to not interfere with it since he didn't want any sugar-coating layers, only the bitter truth that he was dying to learn about. With an unsuccessful protest, the Dragon King eventually gave up and after Yuri sat in his lap, he gave him the badge and let him sink in the depths of his heart.

The whole process didn't took as long as Ray needed to go through Yugo's memories, though unlike the blue haired boy, Yuri was much more affected by it. His fists were clenching and opening, squeezing the badge so hard it would probably break if it wasn't made of metal. Yuri's body was twisting and turning so hard Zarc barely held him in his lap.

At last it was over and Yuri's head tiredly fell onto Zarc's chest as his fists released the lily badge. The boy's body was drenched in a cold sweat like he had been running for miles along with deep gasps for air. Zarc could only cradle him in his arms while wiping his drenched face with a cloth. Yuri was outright drained of his strength, so Zarc let him calm down before carrying him back to the kitchen.

"Some tea?" the man asked to which the boy give a slight nod.

Zarc prepared that one cup of tea in silence, using the herbs that he knew Yuri liked and the ones that were good for easing the mind. Even once the tea was ready, Yuri didn't want to leave the safety of Zarc's warm arms. It was like he was afraid everything would disappear the second he lets go of his Haoryuu.

So Zarc let him sip onto tea while he put the badge back in the bag along with other items. Yuri thought the memories would finally tell him who he was, but now that he had them, the boy was no longer sure if that really was what he wanted. Ignorance was indeed a bliss and for a minute he wished he could erase them and go back to Yuya and Yugo, living in the same state of not knowing his past.

But that wasn't the right thing to do. Not after everything Yuto has gone through to bring _his badge_ back. It just wouldn't be right.

"Are you feeling better now?" Zarc asked, Yuri almost forgetting that Dragon King was still with him.

"Yeah… and…" Yuri looked straight into Zarc's eyes "I have something to show you…"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah… go ahead…" the boy let him put his hands on his forehead "… you need to know…"

"If it gets too serious, I'll stop right away."

Yuri wanted to protest, but in the end he just let the man enter his mind and see the memories that were just awaken in the pits of the boy's heart.

* * *

 _"_ _Flowers! Fresh, beautiful and sweet-smelling! Buy them today!" a boy with red and green hair shouted while swinging a whole bouquet around._

 _"_ _Hey careful with those Yuya. I was arranging them the whole morning!" another boy with identical face but different hair barked while fixing the stand._

 _"_ _But Yuri, there are so many people everywhere and I'm excited!" Yuya whined._

 _"_ _Just keep it down, it's loud enough already…" Yuri suddenly spotted an approaching couple "…and I think we might have an opportunity right there!"_

 _A young couple was checking over the nearby stands and by the time they reached the flower stand, the two boys were fully prepared._

 _"_ _Excuse me miss, do you happen to be on a date with this lovely gentleman?" Yuri bowed before them politely like a knight._

 _"_ _Oh my, what a sweet boy you are." the woman giggled "Yes, indeed I am. In fact today just happens to be a one year anniversary of the day we met."_

 _"_ _Then you definitely deserve this beautiful bouquet." the pink haired boy pointed at Yuya who literally made flowers appear out of nowhere._

 _"_ _Wow that's quite a trick you've pulled." the man smiled while searching for his wallet "How much for it?"_

 _"_ _For a lovely couple such as the two of you, it's half price only for today." Yuri smiled._

 _"_ _I don't see a reason why I shouldn't buy it then." the man put those few coins on the counter while Yuya wrapped bouquet in a colourful piece of parchment paper._

 _"_ _Aren't you a bit too young to run your own stand?" the woman asked once the odd-eyed boy handed her the flowers._

 _"_ _We're just helping out while mom is bringing more flowers." Yuya winked as he carefully put away the money._

 _"_ _Nawwww that's so sweet of you two. I think I'll get one of those flower crowns too." she pointed her finger at the tangled flowers hanging from the roof of the stands "Did your mother made them too?"_

 _"_ _I made them!" Yuya climbed up the stand to reach for the flower crown "But mom helped and Yuri picked the flowers."_

 _"_ _You're such a talented bunch of young lads." the man added more coins "Here, consider this a tip, you deserve it."_

 _"_ _Thank you so much mister!" Yuya grinned as the couple took their purchase and left._

 _Yuri carefully counted all the coins they earned and put them all in the metal money box with a satisfying grin._

 _"_ _See? I told you my plan would work." the pink haired boy put away the box "Way better than your shouting."_

 _Yuya pouted a bit, but a smile instantly turned on his face when someone approached the stand._

 _"_ _Mom!" Yuya rushed towards the blond haired woman who carried more bouquets of flowers, burying his face in her flower patterned apron when giving her a big hug._

 _"_ _I was only gone for a few minutes Yuya." she stroked Yuya's ruffled hair "Now why don't you help me put these on the stand?"_

 _"_ _Okay!" the boy excitedly started putting the flowers up while Yuri helped._

 _The three of them continued to sell flowers, Yuri attracting more people with his polite talk and Yuya performing magic tricks. The city centre became more and more crowded with travelers and visitors from other towns and the weather was just perfect. The Heartland Carnival event couldn't look more perfect._

 _But then the friendly chatter of city folk quietened down and all of a sudden the sky turned dark. Yuri felt himself being pulled behind the stand along with Yuya, hearing the sound of crumbling bricks and trampling of dozens of feet running away._

 _Then there was an explosion._

 _It blew up so fast that Yuri couldn't even comprehend it. He only remembered seeing Yuya's scared face and numerous printed flowers on a fabric as the stand literally caught fire in front of his eyes. Yuri felt protective arms around him and Yuya in his own arms as the sheer force of the explosion threw them against the nearby building. Their stand was in unrecognizable pieces and only a few remaining petals were left from all the flowers._

 _Yuri coughed from the smoke, his body aching like a boulder fell on him and his clothes were completely torn. His mind was in shambles, him not knowing what exactly happened or where he was._

 _"_ _Mom! Mom, wake up!"_

 _The pink haired boy slowly picked himself up, flinching at his scrapped knees and ankles from the fall. His vison was all foggy and all he heard were distant echoes of people that were right there. But the second his eyes saw clearly, Yuri was pulled right back in reality._

 _Yuya was on his knees, screaming and crying as he shook figure on the ground that wouldn't move._

 _"_ _Mom! Mom please!"_

 _But the woman wouldn't budge an inch. No matter how much Yuya called after her, she remain as still as the stone. With horror, Yuri could only now see why there was no movement present._

 _If there weren't for the familiar flower printed apron, Yuri wouldn't even recognize her. She was covered by burns beyond recognition and it was only a miracle that two of them only got minor injuries. Yuri's mind thought back and he remembered how her arms and body protected him and Yuya from scorching flames. She sacrificed her life for them…_

 _"_ _Mom..." Yuya's throat was going sore from all the screaming._

 _"_ _Yuya… we have to go…" Yuri said, trying to avoid looking at the burnt body._

 _"_ _Mom..." Yuya simply shook his head, refusing to let go._

 _"_ _We have to run, before-"_

 _"_ _Hey, I can see two brats over there!" a man's voice shouted, sending shivers right up Yuri's spine._

 _"_ _Good, get them!" another one joined and before long there was a group of men dressed like soldiers surrounding them._

 _Yuri knew they had to run, anywhere that was safe. But Yuya wouldn't move, refusing to release the body of a person he's been so desperately holding onto. The pink haired boy was frozen, not knowing what to do and before he knew it, there were hands lifting him up._

 _"_ _Oi, this one looks too frail. I doubt anyone would want this one for the mines." the man holding Yuri grunted._

 _"_ _Nah, he's pretty enough. Just tie him up and throw him on that caravan." another man said once he had a good look on Yuri._

 _"_ _And this one?" the third man looked at Yuya, who was still crying to his mother to wake up._

 _"_ _Same. You might get even more if you pair him up with the pink haired one. Apart from their hair, they look identical."_

 _"_ _Indeed and their eyes are probably- holy hell! Look at this one!" the man lifted Yuya's face up, forcing him to look at him "This one has freakish eyes!"_

 _"_ _Whoa… he really does. One red and one green."_

 _"_ _I've heard someone at Pendulum was looking for something like this runt. I bet he'll pay a lot for this little freak." the second man laughed as he tore Yuya right out of the mother's arms._

 _This caused Yuya to only cry more, his little hands reaching for his mother as the man tried to tie him up._

 _"_ _Dammit, hold still you brat." the man cursed as the boy struggled to get back._

 _"_ _Just knock him out."_

 _When the loud bang was heard, that's when Yuri snapped out of his dazzled gaze. He saw Yuya calling for his mother one more time before his head slumped forward from sword's handle that knocked him unconscious. Suddenly, it was like all the fiery anger he had within him bubbled up, making him bite into soldier's hand to the point of blood. The man screamed and Yuri used the opportunity to rush towards Yuya who was about to be thrown on a caravan. He kicked and yelled, anything to get there._

 _But Yuri was no fighter. He wasn't as athletic as Yuya who would regularly climb trees like it was nothing and neither did he have enough strength to run fast enough. Yuri had only the strength needed to take care of the flowers._

 _Before he could even reach the caravan, he was already pulled back and smelly rug was pressed over his mouth and nose. Yuri knew that scent well, since he would regularly help prepare the herb mixture intended for calming down the domesticated animals before they would be transported somewhere. Was that really what he was now? Just an animal ready to be sold and used? Yuri was getting dizzy, the drugs making him sway on his feet until he was tied up and thrown on a different caravan with other children._

 _But just before the drugs knocked him out, he could hear a familiar shout and see a familiar figure with blond and blue hair._

 _"_ _Leave them alone! I'll fight you!" the figure was getting closer, yelling at the top of their lungs "Let my brothers go!"_

 _"_ _Yugo…" Yuri mumbled before darkness clouded his memory._

* * *

Yuri let go of Zarc's hand, the man still hardly believing what he had just seen.

His suspicions were right. The four children were related and they used to have a loving family in a peaceful town called Heartland. All of them were happy and lived a normal life before the extremists attacked their home.

"I don't remember much what happened later until Asuka found me… those bastards kept drugging me in that locked up caravan…" Yuri muttered, still feeling dizzy from the memories "I must've forgotten who I was due to the effects of the herbs..."

"But you know who you are now." Zarc pulled Yuri in a hug "It doesn't matter if the four of you are related or not, I'll continue to take care of you just the same."

"I can't believe I forgotten everything… Yuya, Yugo… and Yuto. All of us have always been together." the boy picked the lily badge along with the rest of items "We got these as presents and kept them as our keepsakes. I remember how Yuya was saving up all the coins he got from his street performances so he could have our neighbor make an earring that Yugo wished for. Yuto accompanied our mother on her trade trip to Synchro kingdom where he bought this crystal pendant for Yuya. I knew Yuto wanted to be a knight so I helped our father make him this blade. And this lily badge… Yugo made it for me himself."

Zarc looked at the items, now understanding why they appeared to be so familiar to him the first time he saw them. Each item reminded him of a certain boy. The swinging crystal had Yuya's innocence. The badge had Yuri's passion for collecting plants. Yugo's earring was sturdy but sparkling with life. And Yuto's blade… it had his desire to protect his family. That must've been a reason why he choose to join the Phantom Knights, to protect the ones who can't defend themselves.

"Can I see Yuto?" Yuri muttered.

"I don't know Lily. He is still resting and I'm afraid how would he react when he sees you… he never mentioned he had family other than parents. I don't know why…"

"I might know why… but I want to make sure… Please, let me see him, it's been years since I did."

It was hard for Zarc to decide whether to take Yuri see his brother or not, especially due his current state. But Yuri asked to only see him – nothing more. Considering Ray lulled Yuto into a peaceful sleep he could potentially have Yuri in the same room… still he wanted to play it safe just in case.

"Alright, we can go see him, but we must be careful."

Minutes later and they were already at the guest room where Yuto was resting. Zarc instructed Yuri to wait outside while he had a word with Ray. Yuri didn't hear what they were talking about nor did he try to eavesdrop. His thoughts were still going through the just recovered memories of the times he and his family would spend time together without a care in the world. Just what has Yuto been through? Yuri could still remember that day, how Yugo helped their father carrying the stuff from the workshop, how he and Yuya were preparing the flowers for their mother's stand and how Yuto stayed behind due to feeling sick… Did the slave traders capture him too? Did he manage to get away? Has he gone through the same hell he, Yuya and Yugo did?

"Lily?" Zarc called, making Yuri flinch out of his thoughts "You can come in."

Yuri slowly stepped in the guest room, oddly similar to the one where Yugo has been staying for the first few months when he was brought here. Yuto was sleeping so still that Yuri nearly thought he wasn't alive and his pale skin certainly didn't help.

"I-Is he alright?" Yuri blurted out, not even sure why he asked.

"He is for now." Ray replied while gently caressing the hair of a sleeping boy "But his thoughts are like a storm. The trip to Heartland must've awaken the memories and emotions he's been holding back for all these years."

"I shouldn't have taken him there." Zarc sighed as he gently moved the locks off Yuto's face.

"As a matter of fact, it was good that you did. Otherwise he'd continue to bottle down his pain until he wouldn't be able to handle it anymore."

"Yuto…" Yuri muttered once he was close enough to take his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze "… what happened…"

Only now could Yuri picked on the numerous scars all over Yuto's hands and face, more than the number of ones that Yugo had. While Yuya and Yugo didn't change much from what he could remember, Yuto certainly did. His physical appearance was roughed up, his hair darkened and the scars stated the injuries he had received during those years. He truly looked like an adult, like he always wanted to. But for what price?

"Can I see his memories?" Yuri asked, almost sounding like a plea "I need to know…"

"Lily I can tell you what he told me, how he-"

"No… I need to see what happen through his own eyes. Only that way I will understand." the boy held onto his brother's hand tightly "He's always been like that… keeping everything to himself."

The Dragon King seemed like he was going to say something against it, but once he saw Ray's assuring look and Yuri helplessly staring at Yuto's sleeping form, he knew it was something that needs to be done. Ray had already got on the other side of the bed, using her powers to keep Yuto asleep and relaxed as Zarc took Yuri's hands into his own, guiding them to Yuto's forehead and chest.

"Let's see them together then."

And together they entered the storm going inside Yuto's heart.

* * *

 _"_ _Mother, father, Yuya, Yuri, Yugo!"_

 _Five year old child ran around, not caring about the flames and pieces of debris as he continued to call after his family. He was desperate, ready to walk right into the center of destruction with only his tiny blade._

 _"_ _Keep it together sonny." a short elderly man grabbed his arm "Or do you want slave traders to get you again?"_

 _"_ _Mr. Misawa, I have to go there! I can still-"_

 _"_ _No you're only a child. If you go there you're only going to get hurt!" the old man pulled him towards the woods "Come on, you'll be safe in Duel Sanctuary."_

 _Yuto hardly followed the old man since he wanted to go back for every step he went forward. His family was right in the middle of that and if he could, he would tear himself off his neighbor's grip and go look for his parents and brothers. But old man Rokujuro Misawa was right, he couldn't do anything other than save himself._

 _As they ran up the stairs leading to Duel Sanctuary, more and more Heartland was coming into view. The burning buildings, destroyed streets and ominous soldiers appearing out of nowhere. Then a loud crack was heard and soon the loud crash followed, shaking the ground like an earthquake._

 _The Heart Tower collapsed._

 _The tears ran down Yuto's face as he remembered the last day his family visited that tower. The birds flying up in the sky, them having candy and a magnificent sunset painting the sky orange. And now it was gone, the tower and his family._

* * *

 _He was sitting on the ground, knees close to his chest and shivering from fear. Yuto heard the screams from outside and what followed scared him even more._

 _The silence._

 _Those few survivors that reached the Duel Sanctuary in time were all huddled together, waiting for everything to just end. The old man Rokujuro was outside with a couple of mages in case someone would try to break in. Yuto felt so small and weak right there and then, wishing he could be older and stronger so he could go out there to look for his family._

 _More time passed, more survivors came and sadly none of them was his family. A strand of jealously ran through Yuto when he saw two children being reunited with their parents. But still he had some hope left in his heart that he'll see his family again._

 _Few more survivors were brought in, but this time they were accompanied by mages and knights in eerie-looking cloaks and armors. For a moment Yuto thought the same enemies broke in and was ready to defend the injured survivors. He however was proved wrong once he saw them healing a woman who got hurt during the attack._

 _Rokujuro later explained him those were Phantom Knights, a secret organization made of mages and knights who travel around, selflessly helping the ones in need. The old man was actually the one who contacted them and they came as soon as they could. With their help, more survivors were brought in and Yuto got more faith in reuniting with his family._

 _But soon Phantom Knights started bringing heavily injured people in and even the ones for which was clear they didn't make it. Yuto's heart felt like it was going to shatter, especially once he saw several dead bodies were brought in. The pain of a woman crying at the sight of her dead family reached him as well and he was terrified to see his family the same way._

 _And then he saw a familiar red cloak and spikey black hair._

 _"_ _Father!" Yuto yelled, rushing towards the stretcher carried by two Phantom Knights._

 _The boy was relieved to see his father was breathing and even conscious enough to recognize him._

 _But then he saw two nasty wounds on his shoulder and abdomen. Despite the temporary bandages trying to stop the bleeding, his skin was getting paler by each passing second and the hand that Yuto held was getting cold. Any hope that Yuto still had was fading away piece by piece._

 _"_ _Yu… to…" his father uttered, coughing blood._

 _"_ _I'm here." Yuto fought back tears, trying to look strong for his wounded parent._

 _"_ _Your… brothers were… taken…" the man whispered "… and your mother… didn't make it…"_

 _If Yuto had any kind of hope left, then it was gone now. His fears became true. He only had his father now and even for him it wasn't clear if he'll make it or not. Yuto couldn't take it anymore and before he knew it, he was a crying mess. He cried and cried while holding his father's hand. The Phantom Knights continued to heal him, but after what felt like hours they stopped, saying they did what they could so it solely depended on his father's will. Yuto wanted them to continue trying despite all other heavily wounded people in there. In the end Yuto could only sit next to his dying father, trying to talk with him no matter how many tears were pouring out of his eyes. The boy hated being so weak, so pathetic in his eyes._

 _"_ _I-I will find them." Yuto said with determination "I will become stronger. I will go after the slave traders who took them."_

 _He kept repeating those sentences throughout the whole night. Yuto didn't know if his father heard him or not. It didn't matter as long as he kept the promise to himself. His hand was gripping the tiny blade, small drops of blood full of his desire to become stronger marking it almost like a blood oath. His father was too weak to say anything, but for Yuto the mutters and pained moans were enough to convince him that his father was agreeing with him._

 _That morning when his father could no longer wake up, that's when Yuto decided to become a Phantom Knight._

* * *

 _"_ _You're too young."_

 _"_ _You're too weak."_

 _"_ _You aren't even tall enough to get on a horse on your own."_

 _"_ _You won't last a day with us."_

 _"_ _You don't have what it takes to become a Phantom Knight."_

 _Those were the most common responses to his plea to become one of them. It wasn't like they were belittling him in any shape or form, they were simply stating the facts. When Rokujuro saw him talk with Phantom Knights, he pulled him away and asked him if he was out of his mind. The old man started telling him about his own hellish knight training, which was nothing compared to the one Phantom Knights had for the new recruits._

 _But Yuto no longer cared._

 _Once his parents were buried, so was his reason to stay here. Yuya, Yuri and Yugo were still somewhere out there, alive and most likely suffering. Despite them assuring him that they will find his brothers, Yuto wanted to go with them, helping in any way he could even if it meant becoming one of them. Not that he didn't have faith in them, he was haunted by the fact that they already arrived too late once and he wanted to make sure they'll arrive in time next time._

 _They rejected him no more than fifty times and even once he was on a wagon towards the nearby village where he would be left with a nice family, he continued asking. Only when he sneaked away and successfully tracked them down, that's when they finally took him in consideration._

* * *

 _It hurt._

 _Hurt so much._

 _Despite his above-average fit body and good stamina, he was nowhere near what was acceptable for a Phantom Night recruit. He had to run by their horses while carrying a heavy backpack. He had to crawl through thorny bushes, climb up the rocky mountains and withstand the cold of a freezing river. Only once he went through such extreme training for nearly a year they started teaching him how to handle the weapons._

 _He was six by then and the harsh conditions changed him greatly. Yuto barely knew the feeling of pain by then, training harder than ever to exceed the high expectations of Phantom Knights. There were the ones who genuinely cared about him and even they kept saying that he should wait a few more years. But Yuto refused to even hear about leaving. He came to learn._

 _What Rokujuro taught him about handling the blade was nothing compared to their far more superior techniques. At the times Yuto didn't know what he was doing since the blade would do the things he couldn't even imagine. Over the months he was given more and more weapons to wield and by the time he was eight, he knew how to handle the majority of them. Around that time he started accompanying the Knights on their missions. At first he's been given a role to watch over the horses and soon enough he was taught how to sneak into the buildings. His small size gave him an advantage in such cases, along with his quick reflexes._

 _Though that didn't mean he didn't need to fight. The moment he joined a mission it was clear he was going to get blood on his hands. And he did._

 _They raided a building where enslaved children were kept, a lot of them around his own age. His role was to get inside, disguised as a young slave and use his lock-picking skills to open it. Unfortunately he wasn't fast enough and the guards spotted him. With no other choice, Yuto had to use his own blade to protect himself and the children. He knew which body parts to cut in order to disarm them, but due to hasty movements of the guards, the boy was forced to cut deeper than intended more than once. Yuto felt guilty, but the thoughts of his brothers being locked in such places quickly made him forget it. The mission was a success and the sight of children being reunited with their parents gave him a motivation to keep training to become stronger._

 _One of the last things he learned was a basic use of magic. Even though he was not a mage, Phantom Knights taught him how to feel the memories and aura of people to track them down. It was a simple ability that could be achieved through meditation and shear physical strength. Yuto mastered it in a rather short time as well, especially because the bond he shared with his brothers was strong._

 _More missions followed, involving search and rescue operations, gathering information and often even major battles. The first time he joined a battle against bandits that attacked a village, it took Yuto everything to keep it together. It felt like seeing his hometown being destroyed again and several times Phantom Knights had to snap him out of his gaze. Same went for similar missions, but the more he fought, more he was determined to survive in order to find his brothers._

 _Then when he just turned ten, Phantom Knights tracked down Yuya. Yuto nearly tore the circus flyer out of their hands when he saw the big letters of the main attraction._

 ** _The Boy With Odd Eyes!_**

 _There was no mistaking it, the boy was no other than his youngest brother! Yuya's discoloured eyes were quite noticeable ever since he was a baby. Many people in Heartland found his eyes astonishing and mysterious, only some kids found them weird. But if he was sold off to a circus, Yuto feared the worst._

 _Without a second thought he joined the group of Phantom Knights to get to that circus, hoping Yuya could hold still now that he was so close to him. He trained all those years to save him and as they were getting closer to that tent during the night he could hardly wait to see his little brother again. The Phantom Knights broke into the main tent to interrogate the ringleader who was suspected of buying slaves for his acts while Yuto searched around other tents to look for Yuya._

 _There were many people who were performing against their will, a lot of them horribly mistreated and hiding under sparkling masks. One of them was a ginger haired boy around Yuto's age who burst out crying when Yuto removed the mask that was practically glued to his face. Once his tears dried out, the boy had shock written all over himself when met with Yuto's face._

 _"_ _Yu…ya?" he uttered in disbelief._

 _"_ _Where is he!?" Yuto desperately grabbed onto the boy's shirt "Please, tell me!"_

 _"_ _I'm s-sorry…" the ginger haired boy sobbed "H-he was s-sold to another ringleader… weeks ago…"_

 _Yuto's hands let go of the boy whose name was later revealed to be Dennis. According to him, Yuya was indeed kept here for years, but since his act became popular he was passed around by various ringleaders all over the kingdoms and at one point even by nobles for private shows. Phantom Knights were going through all the paperwork that could give a hint of where Yuya might've been taken while Yuto took care of the just released performers. The planning of their next move took a while, so despite his urge to go after Yuya on his own, Yuto decided to talk with Dennis more._

 _The ginger haired boy was still fascinated how similar Yuto looked compared to Yuya. Only his hair and his eyes were of course different, plus the fact that Yuya was much frailer in appearance. Dennis told him how he's been kidnapped from somewhere in Fusion a few years ago and brought here where he met Yuya who has been with the circus for a while. He told him how the odd eyed boy taught him a lot about performing, how to cover up mistakes on the stage and charm the audience. Dennis owed so much to him and tried to help him out in his own way, like giving him his own portions of food and comforting him whenever there was a storm. Though whenever Dennis asked him about his family or hometown, Yuya could never recall it. He barely remembered anything and the fact that he was often mistreated certainly didn't help._

 _It took everything in Yuto not to get up and punish the ringleader for what he did to Yuya. He knew his brothers were suffering, but this much? Beaten for as much as making a tiny mistake during the act? Kept in a cage and exhibited like some animal? Yuto's blood was on the verge of boiling for what his youngest brother had to go through._

 _"_ _But despite everything, he smiled as much as he could…" Dennis said "When he wasn't performing and when there was just the two of us… he tried to make me smile too…"_

 _Yuto nearly smiled at the thought. Right… Yuya wouldn't be Yuya if he didn't try to put smiles on people's faces. Even after all of this, he still cared about other people's happiness._

 _"_ _Before he was taken to a different circus…" Dennis reached for something in his pocket "He gave me this…"_

 _Yuto never though he'd see Yuya's pendulum again. It was right there, looking the same as it did on the day Yuto gave it to him. He could nearly hear Yuya citing that happiness speech right there and then._

 _"_ _He had a bad feeling about that next circus and wanted me to keep it safe…" the ginger haired boy added "I guess it's the best you have it from now on. You're his brother."_

 _"_ _Thank you…"_

 _The next day the Phantom Knights had ringleader arrested and enslaved performers released. Dennis along with some other people from Fusion were escorted back to their hometown by Phantom Knights. They also managed to come up with a list of all the places where Yuya might be and gave it to Yuto. There were far too many locations to check on such a short notice all while taking care of the rescued performers, so Yuto decided to go solo. Phantom Knights saw more than enough of his progress in the recent years, so they gave him a horse and let him go without another word._

 _Gripping Yuya's pendulum in his hand, Yuto rode into the night as the lone Phantom Knight, following the remaining aura from the crystal pendant._

* * *

Yuri had to take a deep breath after all of this. Zarc needed to hold him in place from how exhausted he was after seeing all of those scenes. The pink haired boy expected Yuto to go look after them, considering he was the oldest and the most independent of them all. But the fact that he went to such lengths for them…

"We can continue later-"

"No. I want to see the rest." Yuri's hands were already on his brother's forehead "If he withstood all this pain for so long, so can I."

* * *

 _Yuto rode through several towns and villages, asking around about the circus with an odd eyed kid. His face was covered up so no one knew he was related to him. And it certainly was a good thing that he did. Unlike XYZ Kingdom, other kingdoms weren't that tolerant of anything that even slightly resembled spirits. Phantom Knights revealed that the attack on Heartland was caused by extremists, people who hated the spirits the most. So he rather played it safe underneath his disguise._

 _It took him weeks before he came to the next town's circus, the last known location on the list and with a brief amount of Yuya's aura there, he was sure it had to be the right place. He quickly followed the aura trail to the nearest staff tent._

 _But he was met with a huge mess._

 _The tents were ripped apart if not burnt, the animals were out of their cages and the performers were trying to keep it in place. As a Phantom Knight, Yuto was obliged to help out and that he did. The staff were far too busy and exhausted to care if the help came from the outsider, so they let him help them until everything was at least under some sort of control._

 _Two female performers who appeared to be sisters thanked him and offered him a place to stay in their tent. Yuto politely declined and instead questioned them about Yuya. The name didn't bring any bells to them, but once he showed them the flyer and referred to him as The Boy with Odd Eyes, one of the girls put her hands over her mouth in shock. She started sobbing so much that her sister had to continue._

 _"_ _I'm sorry… but we are afraid you won't find him here…"_

 _"_ _Was he taken by a different ringleader? Sold to another noble?" Yuto asked in a panicked manner "Please, I've been searching all over Pendulum!"_

 _"_ _You don't understand…" the woman uttered through her sobs "He's gone!"_

 _At that moment it was like the whole world broke apart. That couldn't be true… right? He had to be here, the pendant led him here. He could still feel the signs of the aura…_

 _Yuto quickly took a hold of the pendant and used all the will power he had to see where Yuya was last. He was led to one of the tents that was still standing and inside it he found a broken cage. Everything else was trashed and destroyed beyond recognition. Yuto continued searching, getting only flashing images of Yuya being beaten by the ringleader and shovelled in the cage right after._

 _"_ _The ringleader… he would often beat the boy in a drunken rage…" one of the sisters said once she caught up to him "And a few days ago, he went completely mad."_

 _"_ _Wh-where… is he…" Yuto trembled._

 _"_ _I don't know… my sister saw the ringleader enter the tent..." the woman caressed his shoulder in the support "The same night the ringleader insanely started destroying whatever he touched… and in the morning… the boy was gone…"_

 _"_ _No, no, no… this can't be…" Yuto nearly forgot how to breathe as he desperately searched for more signs of aura. He ran outside, towards the nearby woods where the last few drops could be tracked down. Maybe Yuya managed to get away. Maybe he was still somewhere there, hiding from the ringleader. Maybe there were clues where he was. Yuto ran and ran, not caring where the pendant was leading him._

 _But then he felt it._

 _During his training of how to track person's aura, the Phantom Knights told him about something known simply as a "rip". It was called like that because sensing aura was imagined like following a thread with no end. But when there was an end, you could feel like something got ripped off your heart._

 _Yuya's aura trail ended with a rip._

 _"_ _No…" Yuto fell on his knees "NO!"_

 _He kept searching for any other trails, but all of them were met by a rip. Feeling like he was defeated, Yuto fell on the ground, gripping the strands of grass as he screamed out his brother's name. No… why, just why did it come to this? If only he got here sooner, if only he would've chosen this place instead of all other locations. If only he wasn't too late…_

 _He could no longer save Yuya._

* * *

"I… I don't understand…" Yuri said, feeling like his own tears were going to spill when he was seeing Yuto's thoughts.

"It's because Yuya was no longer in human world. Once my generals Yugi and Atem brought him to the spirit world a rip on aura trail was made which mimics what… what Yuto thought happened." Zarc explained, now understanding Yuto's story more and more.

Yuri could hardly imagine what happened next. He knew that Yuto was always overly protective of Yuya and if the youngest member of Sakaki family had as much as scrapped a knee, Yuto would wake up entire house over it. To think his brother had to go through something as terrible as that… he had no words for it and neither had he wanted to see it.

So Zarc found the memory that happened months later.

* * *

 _"_ _You really do look like this young fellow." a trader said to Yuto "He was always keen on learning more about plants and I was more than glad to tell him about the herbs I traded."_

 _"_ _When and where was the last time you seen him?" Yuto asked without a hint of emotion._

 _"_ _It shouldn't have been more than three years ago. Here let me show you." a trader took out the map._

 _Yuto still wouldn't give up. Although the loss of Yuya cut through his heart every given moment, he continued to search. As much as he wanted to avenge Yuya by going after the ringleader, the sisters revealed that the man was already dead, the cause of it being his own insanity. Yuto had to use all the will power he still had to move forward and let his heart heal later. He lost Yuya, but his other two brothers were still somewhere out there. Yuya would've wanted him to find them, he knew that much, so tucking the pendulum in his bag right next to the blade, he moved along._

 _Along the way he meet Phantom Knights again who found some clues of slave traders who might've taken Yuri. They offered to come with him, but Yuto declined. It was his own mission now and he had to complete it on his own. Alone with a single horse he travelled across Pendulum until he finally reached Fusion. There his traveling went slow._

 _A lot of towns and villages felt abandoned due to a plague outbreak. Yuto wore protective clothing and entered each town with caution in order to not get infected as well. Those few people who were immune to the disease were the only ones left behind, dwelling there since they refused to leave their homes. Yuto managed to get some supplies there, but staying was a big no-no. Not only because he could accidently get infected. Despite the friendly faces, Yuto had more than enough experiences from his training to not trust anyone._

 _This time he located an old shack that was supposedly used by slave traders in the past. It was empty, but while digging through the stuff that was left there, Yuto came across the papers that documented all child slaves that were kept there. Instead of names there were only descriptions and majority of them were girls. Still, Yuto looked over the documents carefully and by the end of the day he found it._

 ** _"_** ** _Boy, 6 years old, pink hair with purple bangs, amethyst eyes. Petite. Rebellions. Taken from Heartland, XYZ Kingdom."_**

 _That definitely sounded like Yuri and in less than an hour Yuto came up with his brother's last known whereabouts. Apparently Yuri was a difficult slave so he was sold and returned a lot, mostly by nobles. From what Phantom Knights told him, the child slaves that had attractive features were often bought by noble families that couldn't have children and required an heir to their wealth. Young, pretty-looking children, most commonly girls were suitable, especially if they happened to be smart._

 _Out of all four of them, Yuri was considered the most beautiful plus he was also the smartest when it came to intellectual skills. So it was not at all that surprising that Yuri would be sold to such families, but from what Yuto could remember, the second eldest of Sakaki family had a talent of driving people nuts. The last time he was sold, was to some noble lady living at the north part of Fusion. And that's where Yuto headed next._

 _The ride there took three full days and at times he had to slow down due to forest area that was really hard to walk through, especially for his horse. While he was getting closer, he was starting to get doubts if Yuri was even still there. It's been more than five years already. But he had hope that at least Yuri had it easier. The noble families might've bought those children, but at least they treated them well. Few more hours and he would've reach the town where that noble lady lived._

 _But then he felt the familiar sensation of aura trail. This time it was Yuri's._

 _He galloped towards it, praying he would find his brother. The trail was getting stronger and he followed it straight until he found something that he never thought he will at such place._

 _It was the lily badge that Yugo made for Yuri._

 _His brother would always wear it, no matter if was for a special occasion or simple garden work. He and Yugo might've been in each other's hair most of the time, but they were rather close too, just like he and Yuya were… Yuto wiped the tear he didn't know he was shedding as he picked the badge and started looking for a new trail. It didn't lead towards the way he was headed, but entirely different direction._

 _So Yuri managed to escape?_

 _He didn't know and he didn't lose the time thinking it. Yuto followed the different trail, leading back to one of the abandoned villages he has passed the same day. Despite looking like another ghost town, Yuto met someone there – a trader._

 _A trader that knew Yuri._

 _Even though Yuri could've lived with a noble family, it turned that Yuri actually lived a rather good life in the village and was raised by a kind herbalist. But once the plague wiped out most of the villagers, Yuri was among people who were forced to leave along with his guardian. The trader would often come to this village even three years later after there was no one left. He gave Yuto the directions of all nearby villages, places where Yuri might've moved to._

 _Using the directions and faint traces of aura, Yuto rode as fast as he could, not daring to let down another brother…_

 _…_

Yuri stopped, refusing to see Yuto's reaction at his ripped aura trail. Seeing him cry over Yuya was hard enough and to see him break down because of him… he just couldn't watch it.

"I remember now…" Yuri said instead "Why I could only remember the insides of houses and other kids… I was constantly taken to different families… and right back in that shack. The people yelling at me were slave traders… who drugged me during every ride to a different noble family, so I would forget who I was… And the reason why I ended up in snow was because I broke out of the wagon taking me to the new clients… and that's where Asuka found me. I must've lost the badge at that spot."

Zarc gave him an assuring hug from behind, like he was telling him that he had enough for today and he should wait until tomorrow to see the rest. But Yuri wanted to see it anyway, so Ray searched forward, looking for a memory happening even more months later.

* * *

 _"_ _That's quite a jewel you have there." the owner of the jewel store said while checking it out with magnifying glass "Where did you get it?"_

 _"_ _Mountain pass between Pendulum and XYZ." Yuto replied, his voice barely audible._

 _"_ _You see here's a thing… if you want to pawn something of such great value it is only fair that you show me your face. We don't tolerate impostors and crooks in Synchro."_

 _During the last few months, Yuto was barely recognizable. He lost weight, his posture bended down and more scars covered his body. Once he discovered Yuri's end of aura trail, he barely moved out of that town. The same trader found him few days later, unconscious and starving on the road. He took him to the village towards which he was heading, hoping he could help him in some way. Yuto was grateful for his help, but soon enough he left, saying he had to go somewhere else._

 _Somehow he managed to contact Phantom Knights again and he joined them on more missions. Losing both Yuya and Yuri made him start losing his mind and he knew that he wouldn't be able to survive like this. So he was back with Phantom Knights, helping them out in current battles against more extremists between Synchro and XYZ. Fighting in the war might've not been the best way, but for him it was the only way to distract himself from sadness. His soulless eyes and scarred body earned him a nickname "ghost" since he came at his enemies swiftly and quietly. He was a big help to Phantom Knights over those months, but sooner or later even they knew he shouldn't be pushing himself that much._

 _So they send him to Synchro to pawn some things they confiscated from the people they arrested. Pawning was one of the few things that Phantom Knights used to finance their organization and Synchro was well-known for having more than enough money. Yuto had no trouble pawning the clothes, badges and weapons. Only a single jewel seemed to be a problem for a young owner of jewel store._

 _"_ _If you don't show me your face you don't get a deal." she snarled, clearly annoyed at his silent treatment._

 _So Yuto removed the scarf off his face and goggles of his eyes. He was ready to be met by the same tone of voice, but once his eyes met hers, her expression changed completely._

 _"_ _It- It's you." she gasped, continuously wiping her eyes and taking a second glance to see if she was seeing right "Y-you're back… Crystal."_

 _Yuto gave her a puzzled look and before he knew it, he was pulled into the back of the store while she went to change the shop's sign to "closed". Only once they were cooped up in a room that was most likely a storage, the girl spoke again._

 _"_ _Don't you remember me? I'm Masumi! You worked here for a year!" she opened a drawer, taking two doll-like structures out of the drawer "You taught me how to make Lapis and Lazuli!"_

 _The young Phantom Knight almost freaked out when the two dolls, decorated by gems, moved. Then he remembered. His father, the blacksmith told him about tiny spirits who can possess small manmade objects like their bodies. Yugo was obsessed with making such objects in hopes they would house the spirits once. Yuto wasn't that keen on the idea, but he knew his second youngest brother loved it._

 _"_ _You taught me how to perfect my jewellery making skills, I gave you a name and you had those Speedroids with you!"_

 _"_ _You're talking about my brother…" Yuto removed his hood, revealing his black and purple locks "Where is he?"_

 _Masumi opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but she changed her mind and rather reached in her pocket. Out she brought a rose badge, awfully similar to the one shaped like a lily that Yugo made for Yuri._

 _"_ _He went after his brother… which makes it your brother too. The one with odd eyes." Masumi cradled the rose badge, remembering their last conversation "I've never seen him act like that. It was like something within him snapped the second I showed him a flyer from a travelling circus. He was full set on leaving as soon as his legs heal up, but since the ship transporting the circus left early, so did he. I tried to convince him to wait, but he refused to listen."_

 _"_ _I see…" Yuto mumbled, his hands shaking "Did… did he leave anything behind?"_

 _"_ _Not really… he had a few of those Speedroids with him, but they left on their own. They followed him wherever he went. Maybe only this…" Masumi opened what appeared to be a hidden pocket in the rose badge "I don't know if it's his, but it most certainly isn't a part of the badge."_

 _Yuto carefully took that little thing, his eyes needing some time to adjust in such dim room. It was an earring, the very same one that Yuya gave to Yugo. He remember his constant complaining when mother wouldn't allow him to wear one so Yuya had one made for him in secret. The only problem was that neither of them knew how to put it on, so Yuya took the risk and pierced the ear using Yugo's instructions. Unfortunately it didn't go well and both of them were grounded for weeks._

 _"_ _That's his earring…" Yuto said, already feeling the thread that was Yugo's aura trail._

 _"_ _Wait… don't tell me you're going after him too!?" Masumi shrieked from panic._

 _"_ _I have to, he's my brother." the boy shot back._

 _"_ _Yeah… that's what he said too…" she sighed while opening the drawer and reaching for a pouch full of golden coins "Here, consider this your payment for the jewel plus the tip. Go find your brother. I know there's nothing stopping you now."_

 _"_ _Thank you." Yuto stowed away the pouch "For both the money and keeping my brother company."_

 _Then Yuto put his disguise back on and without sending a message to Phantom Knights that he'll be going solo once again he set off for yet another search…_

* * *

And that's where Yuri stopped. He knew that what would follow was another great search for Yugo, ending with a set of clues brining him closer and closer to that mine from which Yusei rescued his brother until he would reach the rip of Yugo's aura trail. Whatever pain he felt at the realization that all of his efforts were in vain was most likely greater than anything he experienced so far.

"Yuma and Astral said they found him near Heartland…" Zarc said, gently caressing Yuri's back.

"He wanted to see our old home one last time." Yuri said, nearly tearing up while looking at Yuto's still expression "He didn't want to die anywhere else."

The Dragon king and Ray wanted to argue with that statement, but deep down they knew it was true. Ray saw the memories herself before Yuri did and knew well how troubled and confused Yuto felt within his mind. What he had wasn't a mere storm, but a never ending hurricane bringing up his past.

"Why don't you join Firefly and Crystal? I'm sure they miss you." Zarc lovingly embraced Yuri to change the topic.

"I think I will…" Yuri tiredly slipped off the bed "Haoryou?"

"Yes Lilly?

"Could you not tell him about us when he wakes up? Knowing him, he won't believe you."

"I don't know… it depends on his recovery. And speaking about recovery, you should go to bed before you get fever too. Your chin is already a little warm."

Yuri merely nodded and tiredly managed to stumble back to Healing Ward, stopping several times just to think how to respond to his brothers. A part of him wanted to tell them everything about Yuto and what he did for them but the other part just wanted to keep them in a bliss of ignorance. Would they really want to hear it? Forget that, would they even want to remember it? Yuya forgot due the hit in the head and several beatings that followed. Yugo went through carding which greatly shuffled his memory like a deck of cards. But he wanted them to know and didn't at the same time.

His own thoughts nearly made him crush against pillars in the hallway and he was about to crush against another if a pair of arms wouldn't lift him up.

"Miss Ray?" Yuri mumbled, hardly comprehending what he was seeing.

"I think it would be the best if I carry you back, alright? You are in no condition to walk back to your room again."

"My room?"

"The Gazers reported that your brothers' fevers went down so they were moved back to your shared bedroom."

The pink haired boy leaned against Ray's shoulder, trying hard to forget what he saw in Yuto's memories in order not worry Yuya and Yugo once he sees them. Fortunately both of them were already sleeping so Yuri just let Ray help him change in his nightclothes and put him in bed. Yuya woke a bit, just enough to see Yuri lay down next to him and the moment he was snuggled against Yuri's chest, he was fast asleep. Yugo on the other hand didn't even notice him since he was sleeping soundly with hands sprawled over Yuya's back.

Yuri embraced them both, fearing to see Yuto's memories again, the pain his brother felt when he believed he lost them. The pink haired boy hardly blamed his brother. If he were to lose everyone like this, he would most likely decide for the same fate. True he preferred to be alone, true he preferred the company of Predaplants more and true he found them noisy from time to time. But if he were to lose them… Yuri wouldn't be able to bear it.

Pulling Yuya and Yugo in a tight hug, Yuri instead tried to think about other memories, about those five peaceful years in Heartland. How they would spend days playing and helping out their parents and how they would fall asleep on their shared bed just like this.

Only Yuto was missing.

* * *

Yuri woke up early, like he usually did to water the plants in the hallway and check on the herbs he was drying right after dressing up. But this time he didn't return back to their room to wake up Yuya and Yugo. This time he headed straight to the guest room where Yuto was. He didn't know if his brother was awake or not, but he had a gut feeling that he had to be there, like Yuto was unconsciously calling after him in his sleep.

The pink haired boy carefully peeked into the room through ajar doors, noting that Zarc never left the room and was currently talking with Yuto. His elder brother spoke quietly and was more or less just answering Zarc's questions, since he didn't appear like he had much to say. He has most likely just told the Dragon King about his past, the part he left out and didn't want to share. The reason why he became a Phantom Knight.

"I-I couldn't… save them…" Yuto covered his eyes with his fist "… I did everything I could to find them… but when I was too late for Yugo… I-I didn't know what to do next."

"Phantom…" Zarc put his arm around Yuto's shoulders "What happened was out of your reach. You were far too young to stop the people who attacked your hometown."

"Just the day before the attack we were in the woods collecting chestnuts. I can still remeber scolding Yuri for filling his baskets with poisonous mushrooms, running after Yugo when he went chasing the squirrels and pulling spines out of Yuya's hands when he tried to get the chestnuts out of the burrs. Our mother was making a pumpkin pie and roasted sweet potatoes that night. Yugo burnt his tongue from eating a sweet potato too fast and Yuya… he had an idea to carve a face into the rest of the pumpkin and use it as a mask on one of father's shows…" Yuto wanted to tell, but the sobs muffled down his words.

"What you did was exemplary Phantom. Not many would go to the lengths you went and still keep on going. You are in no way weak like you think you are." Zarc drew gentle circles in Yuto's back to calm him down "As a matter of fact, I think you're even stronger than me."

Yuto blinked in confusion, not sure if the Dragon King really meant it or just said it to make him feel better. There was no way for that to be true right? Zarc told him about how he had created entire world for spirits before they headed towards the Heartland, about the war that happened before Yuto was even born. So how could he, a mere twelve year old boy be stronger than this spirit ruler?

"Yuto… I can't say that I've experienced the same pain, but I've also been through a heavy loss. I was too late and I could no longer save the ones I cared about… The pain I felt was horrendous…" Zarc sighed, looking in the distance towards the woods "So I decided to forget them completely in order to recover and because of that I hardly remember them anymore."

Zarc then stood up, getting closer to the window, his own memories coming back more and more clearly.

"But you Yuto… you kept the memories of your family alive. You didn't push them away like I did, but welcomed them with opened arms. I know that because you showed me yourself." Zarc held Yuto's hand "Would you really bury the last thing that reminded you of your brothers next to your parents if you were protecting them so much? You don't want to forget them, no matter the pain."

Yuto started crying. The first time he came across Yuma and Astral, meeting Zarc, hearing the last words of fallen spirits, Yuma begging him to live for Zarc, visiting the graves, being beaten by Security soldiers… and sharing those painful memories of his aimless search for his brothers. He hardly believed this happened in only a couple of days.

"I can't forget them… they were my only reason to keep moving for the last seven years. If I was close to giving up… I'd remember them and push through… but now… I just don't know…"

"You don't need to decide what to do next right away. Your heart needs time to recover after an ordeal as painful as yours." Zarc stood by the edge of the bed "You can freely stay here as long as you need to."

"But I can't!" Yuto wiped his tears with a sleeve "I don't deserve all of this, not after my brothers had to suffer for so many years! I failed them! I failed myself! I even failed Phantom Knights!"

Yuto continued crying and throwing a blame on himself, shaking from his own misery. He could still see their faces on every turn, reminding him how he was too late. The barely recognizable faces of his parents and fading images of his home were there too, but it was harder and harder to remember. He could no longer go back, not after letting down everyone.

All of a sudden, he felt a slap over his cheek.

Yuto slowly turned, expecting it from Zarc, but the man was too far away to do it.

The boy hardly believed his eyes.

"You… You moron! Stop blaming yourself! It was not your fault!" Yuri yelled, slapping Yuto one more time just to make it clearer "You didn't need to become a Phantom Knight for our sakes! You didn't need to go through all of this for us!"

Yuto's eyes went wide, stuttering inaudible words as he stared at his very much alive brother who was grabbing onto his shirt, shaking and hitting him to assure him that was no ghost.

"I've never blamed anyone else but those bastards who took us away! So stop it! Just freaking stop it!" Yuri yelled as his hits became lighter and his own tears started raining down "You did enough… Father wouldn't want you to join the knights… He would want you to stay with that hunting family… so at least one of us could grow up in a peaceful home…"

The young Phantom Knight was completely dazzled and without words as he watched Yuri cry onto his shirt, quietly sobbing and throwing curses at him. By now Yuri let out everything he's been feeling ever since he saw Yuto's memories. He was planning to say it once Yuto would get to learn that his brothers were alive, but when he saw his brother demeaning himself with such hatred he couldn't watch anymore.

"Why… just why did you sacrifice everything for us…?" Yuri mumbled, throwing his arms around Yuto who was taken back by so many things that just happened.

Yuri… Yuri was here. He was okay and he was still pretty much the same as he was seven years ago. How was that possible? Yuto found numerous evidences that Yuri was killed by the villagers who saw him as the demon child and lily badge led him to the rip of his aura thread.

But he was here, embracing him as tightly as he wanted him to give him all the hugs he couldn't for the last seven years. Yuto honestly didn't know what to think anymore, so he just let it happen as he hugged his brother back.

"Yuri… is that really you?" Yuto uttered, his arms tightening around his sibling.

"Of course I am, you knight idiot!" Yuri barked "I'm very much alive!"

"But h-how?"

"You really are a moron, aren't you?" the pink haired boy sighed loudly "Didn't your almighty Phantom Knights taught you to always check for the body to make sure someone is really dead? For someone who was learning for so long, you surely overlooked some major details."

Yuto swallowed hard, only now realizing that the rips in aura threads were the only proof he had that his brothers were gone. He had never considered to double check everything. And if Yuri was here, did this mean…

"Yes, Yuya and Yugo are here too, little Phantom Knight." Zarc said like he was reading his mind.

"They are?!" Yuto immediately got off the bed "Let me go see them!"

"Hey easy!" Yuri pulled him back on the bed "Could you please just sit down and listen before making yet another reckless decision?"

The boy seemed like he was going to argue, but looking back for everything he did, Yuto remained still on the bed. Was it really true? Or was Zarc playing tricks on him?

"Yuya was rescued from the very same circus that you visited by my two generals." Zarc sat down on the bed next to Yuto "He was really scared at first, but over the time he became more trusting."

"Yuya…" Yuto repeated with his eyes full of hope.

"Yuri was rescued next and thank the gods my other two generals rescued him in time."

"What happened?" Yuto gave his sibling a questionable look.

"I'll tell you about that later." Yuri slightly looked away.

"Yugo has been brought here several months ago." Zarc gently ruffled Yuto's hair "They are all safe and I did my best to take care of them."

"W-why didn't you tell me about them sooner?" Yuto looked straight into Zarc's eyes "Why did you keep it from me?"

"He didn't know." Yuri said nudging at the Dragon King "Me and Yuya both lost memories about everything before Heartland Attack, so until yesterday I didn't even know the three of us are related. The badge helped me remember."

"And Yugo?" Yuto asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"I don't know how much Yugo remembers since he's been through carding. From what he told me, he knew Yuya and Yuri from his childhood, but I always assumed they were friends."

"Carding… so that's why." the boy thought about Security soldiers who beat him up "I didn't know why they attacked me at Heartland at first, but it makes sense now. They thought I was a runaway slave who went through carding… it is a quite common punishment."

Yuto reached for the bag that still sheltered those four items, reaching for the lily badge that he immediately gave to Yuri who put it on his shirt. Apart from the rose necklace from Asuka, he never really wore any other accessories, so the badge made a nice addition to his outfit. Would the pendulum and earring help his brothers remember?

"I don't know if we should tell them about Heartland… when I remembered I felt like my chest was being torn apart. I don't want them to go through the same pain." Yuri added, remembering the events of the previous day "It was already hard enough for them to recover from their own ordeals. They don't need any more pain."

"But if you already reacted that much to the badge… does that mean I'll have to be away too?" Yuto said clenching his chest.

Right… the items weren't the only thing that was acting like a trigger for the memories. Neither Yuya nor Yuri remembered anything, though Yugo remembered bits once his eyes healed up. They might remember if they were to see him… so to keep them from the memories, he'll most likely isolate himself for them. After everything that transpired, Yuto didn't want anything but to embrace them and have that assurance he needed to know they were really alive. Even if he could only watch them from afar and be with Yuri was enough.

"I guess I'll have to continue being a Phantom Knight for them…" Yuto said quietly with a slight smile "It's fine… I've become used to living in the shadows. I can do it again."

"You won't need to."

Yuto's, Yuri's and Zarc's faces turned towards the door in unison since the voice came from there.

Yugo stood there and judging from the mop of green and red hair, Yuya was there too, hiding behind his blue haired sibling.

"Y-Yu..go?!" Yuto uttered in the mix of surprise and relief "Y-Yu…ya."

"What are you doing here?" Yuri asked right away, puzzled that he didn't notice them coming.

"We know." Yugo spoke, his usual bubbly tone being replaced by a much serious one.

"But how?" now Zarc was the confused one.

"I was thirsty last night and got lost on the way to the kitchen. Speedroids managed to show me the way back, and while getting back… I had this gut feeling that I should go somewhere else… and I found Yuto's room…" Yugo looked down like he said something wrong "I peeked through a keyhole… and then I suddenly remembered everything."

Yugo started to tremble, but Yuya held his shaking hand to calm him down.

"I didn't mean to tell anyone, especially not Yuya..." Yugo's words gradually turned into quiet sobs.

"Yugo… don't cry." Yuya embraced him "I'm not mad at you."

He might've not shown it for the past few months, but underneath his healed and cheerful persona were broken pieces of his forgotten past. The blue haired boy sniffed as the tears started falling down, remembering more and more from the Heartland Attack. How he witnessed Yuya and Yuri being taken and how he was captured himself. How he spent the days in the mines planning to get out so he could save them. True he remembered the bits of them playing together in the woods surrounding Heartland and even the fact that they were captured, but he could never recall the time they spent as a family. Even Yuto was barely in those bits he still had.

That night when he saw Yuto's face and his point purple locks by the dim sight of the light crystals, he remembered everything. How Yuto would help him collect scrapped metal for his little projects. All the times his older sibling got him out of the trouble when he would pick a reckless fight. And how they were both fascinated by swords and other weapons.

The second he got back in the bed, he tried hard to forget it, but the more he did, more he was thinking about it. Yuya stirred in his arms like he usually did before having a night terror, though this time there was none. The odd eyed boy simply appeared to not be as comfortable when sleeping. But in the morning, soon after Yuri left, Yugo knew that what Yuya had dreamt was far from ordinary. Yuya mumbled about Heartland being destroyed, about being passed around in a cage by slave traders and worst of all… he remembered his mother's death and being torn out of her dead arms right after.

Not knowing what to do, Yugo took a hold of Yuya's hand and went to look for Haoryuu. The Speedroids, ever so helpful, gave him the right directions and they just go there when Yuri stormed in the room, yelling at Yuto. The two of them hid nearby, listening to everything that Yuto did for them and slowly made their way towards the doors. Yugo hoped his big brother would one day become a knight… but not like this, not for them.

The next moment Yugo opened his eyes, still thinking of what just happened he saw all of his brothers around him, including Zarc. Whatever heavy feeling he still felt was gone as the sole sight of his family being reunited came into his sight. Yuya threw his arms around his shoulders, Yuri patted his shoulder in support and Yuto…

Yuto refused to see any of his brothers cry ever again.

He embraced him as tightly as he could, hardly even thinking what Yugo has gone through as a mining slave. Yuto saw him slightly limping when walking in the room and his eyes still looking like they needed more time to heal. He needed time to heal and he was most certain his other two brothers did as well. And deep down, he knew he needed healing for his own scars.

Yuto raised his head while still in the arms of his brothers, giving Zarc a look full of gratitude.

Yuma and Astral were right.

Zarc brought them all together.

"Thank you…" Yuto muttered.

He made a promise to live and now he was well sure he'll keep. If not for himself, then for his brothers and for Zarc.

* * *

Day was coming to an end as Zarc flew over his castle. The evening flights were something he never really did before he started caring for the four siblings. While he really enjoyed every single moment he spent with them, the Dragon King knew well that they all had a lot of catching up to do. So every evening, right after the dinner he left them alone in a shared playroom that Yuri and Yuto had carefully arranged for all of their things while he took a flight.

It felt good, like swimming through the clouds and catching the right win. He never really got to enjoy it during the war times since his dragon form was quite noticeable and once the war was over, he simply didn't feel like doing it. But now it was completely different, like experiencing the freedom itself.

This evening routine felt just right as he would return by the time it was dark, which was enough to spend a little time with the boys and then slowly get them ready for bed. They all shared a single bedroom now, not wanting to be separated ever again and Zarc rearranged the biggest guest room to be their own. The boys didn't ask for any other luxury but one huge bed, big enough for all of them so they could be all huddled together like in a nest. Even Zarc would sometimes be with them, partially transforming into his dragon form so his tail could bundle them together and wings kept them warm.

Zarc hardly believed only a week has passed since the day the four brothers were reunited. By now it already felt like they've been living here for years, just like a real family. The Dragon Spirit truly wanted to visit Heartland again, paying respects to the boys' parents for raising them so lovingly. He hoped his voice could reach their souls…

Speaking of souls… he was flying there again.

The forest of voices, also known as the Spirit Graveyard, dedicated to all the spirit lives lost in the war. Zarc and Ray created it as a memorial to never forget the ones who fought and the ones who never got to see the world purely for the spirits. While Zarc cared for every single spirit, there were four spirits whose deaths he never got over. Ray tried to help him out, but she hardly could as she was close to those four spirits as well. The generals were too busy in the respective domains of the spirit world though even they eventually realized how much of an impact the war had on him.

But Zarc was willing to change it.

When he saw the quadruplets face their most haunting memories, the Dragon King felt outright ashamed for avoid the Spirit Graveyard for so many years. If they could do it, so could he and after the days, Zarc finally flew down, landing right in front of the four trees.

He slowly reverted back in his human form, picking on the last voices and moments of the spirits resting here. Zarc bowed all the way to the ground in hopes his words will be heard.

"I'm sorry for pushing you away for all these years... I shouldn't let go of the memory of you…"

The voice quietened down as his voice echoed through the woods.

And once he looked up, he saw apparitions of four dragons.

"Then it really was you four…" Zarc fell on his knees, feeling like crying "All those years… and you never left… why…"

 _"_ _Because a part of us refused to leave you alone." the smallest dragon replied "We knew how much our deaths hurt you."_

 _"_ _So we stayed and pieces of our souls were reincarnated in human world." the purple dragon added._

"Y-You're them?!" Zarc gasped from realization.

 _"_ _In a way we are and in a way we aren't." dragon with shining wings said._

"But why? Why did you keep it from me for all of those years?"

 _"_ _Because we didn't want you to see them as a replacement for us." dragon whose body was covered by orange orbs said._

 _"_ _We wanted you to love them as their own person, not like a reminder of us."_

 _"_ _And we wanted to experience human world through them. You never got to, but we did for you."_

"How long were you going to keep this from me?"

 _"_ _Once they would turn fourteen, they would develop all other traits that connected them to us since that was the age when we passed away. Yuya already had my eyes, Yuri got Starve Venom's ability to talk with plant spirits, Yugo even had bits of Clear Wing's memories of flying and Yuto got Dark Rebellion's desire to protect." the smallest dragon said, nudging to others._

 _"_ _We saw both sides of human world and if we couldn't do much during the war. So we hoped we could've at least change it through them." Dark Rebellion said sadly._

"But how can I help the kind that enslaves the weak and hurt their own young?"

 _"_ _You will find a way and we will support you in any way our souls can." Starve Venom nodded._

 _"_ _You saved us from slavery once along with other spirits. You can save the human kind as well." Clear Wing spread his wings "Can you promise us you'll at least try?"_

"I don't know if I can do it, but I can try." Zarc said after thinking a bit.

The three dragons faded away after a nod, but the smallest one remained, staying by Zarc's side.

 _"_ _I can sense you're still lacking a closure from the war." the dragon stared at him with its mismatched eyes._

"Odd-Eyes… I killed you… and I slaughtered many in your name." Zarc hardly looked at the dragon "Are you really sure I can take care of you again and fix the world I've chosen to destroy?"

 _"_ _This decision does not belong to me and neither do those past events affect it. Haoryuu… it's time for you to let go and move on. Take care of our reincarnations, prepare them for their transformations and please… humanity deserves a world just like ours. They are on the path to destroy themselves and you are the only one who can save them."_

If Odd Eyes wouldn't be just a transparent memory apparition created by the forest, Zarc would've gladly embrace him, thanking him for his young wisdom. The little dragon never stopped believing in him, even when Zarc was about to pierce his weak heart in his dying moments. So when he disappeared, the Dragon King felt like he lost them again.

But then he remembered about the four boys he was taking care of, their very present reincarnations. He sensed a little bit of the dragons in them before, though what really brought it up were Yugo's desire to fly and Yuto's items. Zarc had another look at them and realized that they all had a piece of unknown materials that the boys found randomly. He couldn't tell wheatear those materials were once a part of the spirit hatchlings he once protected or not, but one thing was clear.

He was always meant to take care of them and now he had another opportunity to do so.

He flew right back to the castle, knowing the boys must be waiting for him by now. And there they were, on a balcony waiting for the stars with Astrograph Sorcerer.

"Haoryuu!" they shouted, nearly racing who would get to him first.

"Firefly, Lily, Crystal and Phantom." Zarc whispered as he stroked their little heads in a loving manner "So who wants to hear a new story?"

"Me!" they shouted in unison to which Zarc smiled and nudged them to get ready for bed soon if they wanted to hear the whole story in one setting.

They got away in a matter of seconds and before Zarc would follow them, he called his right-hand spirit to him.

"I need you to deliver a specific message to all of my generals." he said as he gave the spirit a magically forged scroll.

Astrograph Sorcerer nodded and before the man knew it, the spirit was gone. Just before he headed towards the boys' room, he took one last look at the Spirit Graveyard and mumbled in the distance.

 _"_ _I won't let your deaths be in vain. I'll make sure human world becomes peaceful as well."_

* * *

And we reach the end of Yu-boys stories. I really hope I didn't go into OC zone too much, but I really wanted to capture the pain of their horrendous experiences (forgive me, my Yu-boys, I promise I won't torment you anymore in this story). I also wanted to include more Yuri and Yuto interactions since Yuto is basically the only Yu-boy that doesn't interact with Yuri at all, though in the manga I really enjoyed their scenes. I again apologize for taking it so long, life happened and I had to deal with a lot of plotholes since I got the idea of them being brothers after I already posted Yuri's chapter so it was hard to go back to fix it.

The opening scene was greatly inspired by Shingeki no Kyojin, namely the part where Eren saves Mikasa from her kidnappers. As for the idea of aura threads - I got it from two of my other two favourite characters that remind me of Yuto a lot. The first you've probably guessed by now - it's Lucario from the 8th Pokemon movie which is among my top 3 - the way he used aura, how he trained and the time flowers... man was that a lot of inspiration. And the other character - Leonardo from TMNT 2002 tv series (the first fandom for which I also happened to write my very first fanfic)! One of my favourite episodes "Prodigal Son" left quite an emotional impact on me the first time I watched it, the way Leo searched for his brothers after he was told they were dead... I wanted it for Yuto too, especially with how he located them using their personal items. I really recommend that episode, it just has that kind of vibe that goes from hurt to comfort.

I originally planned to include one more scene at the end, but unfortunately, it got too long so I decided to merge it with another chapter. That's right - I'm adding another chapter! And while it will have some nice family moments, Yu-boys slowly developing their dragon traits, Zarc trying to change the human world there will be also more hurt/comfort. How do you ask? We already got all Yu-boys' stories! But... if you remember the previous chapter... towards the end Yusei said:

"I better get going, Crow had discovered another human facility where children and spirits are experimented on. We have to make a plan and rescue them in time." Yusei nudged to his dragon that it was time to go "Though he warned us that villagers refer to it as the Lost Incident. It surely sounds ominous and some even reported seeing a dragon that looks a lot like Stardust."

What happens next I leave entirely to your interpretation ;) But like always I'll be happy for kudos, comments, theories, critics and ideas! Love you guys.

Also I'm not sure what I'll update next, but please look forward to another fanfic exchange that will have the same AU as Fragile Smile and Lost Kattobingu. Take care!


End file.
